Fictionista Witfit Challenge 4
by Babette12
Summary: A continuation of the daily witfit challenges.  Different stories update each day based on the prompt.  Rated M for safety, even if most chapters only deserve a T.
1. Chapter 1

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Haunted

* * *

Another month passed and still I wasn't pregnant. As soon as I had felt that all too familiar ache in the small of my back I started to cry. It just didn't seem fair. It also didn't help that Rose had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl, and it was all I could do to hold it together while at the hospital.

Plastering a smile on my face I walked with Edward into her room where she was cooing at a little bundle of blankets. "Hey guys," she whispered, her face never leaving that of her child. "Thanks for coming to see us."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I told her, leaning over the bed to look and see the baby ensconced within the blankets. She had a headful of black curls and a small dimple on her chin, instantly melting my heart.

"Wanna hold her?" Rose asked, offering her up to me, but I could see the hesitance in her eyes. She wouldn't be offended if I said no, but I did want to cradle my niece.

Taking her into my arms I looked down in wonder at the little person who had just joined our lives, and was surprised to see her looking right back at me. "You didn't see any other babies waiting to come down did you?" I asked her with a laugh. "Surely someone up there wants us as a mommy and daddy?"

"Bella," Edward said, wrapping an arm around me in comfort, "they'll come when the time is right. We just need to be patient."

A tear slipped down my cheek as I nodded. I knew he was right but patience wasn't my strong suit. It didn't help that Jessica and Mike had gotten married a month ago, only to find they were expecting a honeymoon baby. Or as my mother always said, "Those first children can come any time, all the rest take nine months."

"So how does it feel to have a haunted baby?" Edward asked as Emmett entered the room.

"Haunted? You mean because she was born on Halloween?" Emmett laughed while Rose glared at him. "It just means we get off easy the first few years. Why buy a birthday cake when all the town's giving her candy?"

"Emmett!" Rose hissed, "We will do no such thing!"

The baby jumped and scrunched up her face at the sound so I began rocking and cooing at her. She had fallen off to sleep but was now looking at me again until she let out a big yawn, stretching her tiny fists above her head and making Rose and I 'Awe', which in turn made the guys roll their eyes.

"Stop that, babies are wonderful," I fussed at Edward, making him laugh.

"They poop, eat and sleep, what's so wonderful?" I stared at him, incredulous, until he put up his hands. "Now hear me out. I prefer it when they can run, jump and play. I have nothing against babies, you just have to go through that in order to get them to the fun stage."

Now it was Rose and I rolling our eyes. "Fine, when they're running like screaming banshees, you'll get them," I laughed, knowing it wasn't a threat. I had seen him playing with Emmett and Rose's kids, and he loved nothing more than when they all piled on top of him, pretending to tackle the monster.

"So when you guys going on the sex cruise?" Emmett asked while settling in a chair, placing himself strategically out of hitting range of Rose.

"Emmett!" the three of us cried at once, making him laugh.

"What? You're going so you can make one of those, right?" he asked, pointing at his new daughter. "Therefore, a sex cruise. Gotta say that's not a bad way to spend a vacation!"

"Have you been tracking your temperature?" Rose asked. She had told me how it changes in the morning and could be used to predict ovulation. The down side was that you needed to take it rectally before you even got out of bed.

"Yes, she has, and won't let me help," Edward complained. He was lucky my arms were full of baby. Upon seeing my face he reacted similarly to Emmett. "What? It's a little strange to wake up in the morning and snuggle my wife only to find a thermometer in her backside."

"Almost as fun as being the one who gets to wake every morning and put it there," Rose quipped, reaching for her daughter who was now fussing. "Now, Edward, unless you want an eyeful of boob, why don't you take Emmett to get some food while I feed this one?" As soon as the first button on her top opened he was dragging his brother from the room.

"Still nothing, huh?" Rose said, deftly helping her little one latch on to begin feeding. She sighed when I shook my head. "Remember, the doctors won't even talk to you until it's been at least two years that you've been trying. So, go on your vacation, relax, and have a good time, knowing you might not come back with a baby."

"Way to be supportive, Rose," I said, sarcasm lacing my voice.

"Just don't want you to get your hopes up if nothing happens, Bella," she said, reaching over to squeeze my hand. I nodded, knowing she was right, but it was hard to keep perspective when you saw a fourteen-year-old walk by at nine months along. After all, I had done everything right, gone to school, gotten a job, gotten married, was doing this in the right order, so why not me?

"Hey," Rose said, getting my attention. "I'm serious, don't stress over this. What's the worst that can happen? You don't get pregnant, then what?"

"I don't know," I admitted, reaching up to hold my niece's foot. "Adopt, I guess. We haven't really discussed it."

"Make yourself a plan, Bella. No baby in two years, see a specialist. Two or three years after that, consider adoption. Remember, there are loads of kids out there who need parents."

Meeting her gaze I let her see how confused I was. "It's next to impossible to adopt a baby, Rose. They're either being aborted or the teen moms are keeping them."

"I wasn't referring to those kids, Bella," she said, shifting her daughter to her shoulder to burp. "Be willing to think a little older. You may not get the baby you crave, but you'll be giving a needy child a good home."

That was something I hadn't considered. As I thought about it the rest of the family came into the room, congratulating the new mom and distracting me from the conversation.

* * *

I know, it cut off a bit abruptly. I was really busy last weekend!


	2. Chapter 2 Party

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Alternate MS/Twilight  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Party

* * *

I rolled my eyes at her, not saying yes or no to her inquiry. The last thing I would do was admit I was a vampire, especially with her father in the next room. A small battle of wills ensued, she stared at me; I stared back.

"Well, that was really nice of Alice to give you those scarves, Bells," her father said, returning from the kitchen. "Sorry I didn't think of that. Your mom said you were set for winter weather…" he trailed off, shuffling his feet some.

Bella's attention was diverted for now as she reassured her father that she was fine. I spent the time with my nose in my history book, playing over scenarios of how I planned to get back at Alice and whether it was important enough to wait for an explanation from her before I tore her to shreds. Not once did I imagine setting fire to her, I loved her too much for that, but inflicting pain was another matter.

_Dream on, brother mine,_ I heard from the yard, followed quickly by her knocking on the door.

As Charlie went to answer the knock Bella fitted me with a look again. "This discussion isn't over, Edward," she whispered so quietly that if I had been human I would have never heard.

_Told you!_ Alice thought, laughing in her mind as she came around the corner. "Oh, look, it's a party!" she said as she hurried over and gave Bella a kiss on the cheek. "You look better."

"I feel better. Thanks for the scarves," Bella replied, looking at Alice speculatively.

"Yes, that was really nice of you, Alice," Charlie said before pausing. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

"Nothing I can't afford to miss. Carlisle called in to excuse me," she lied, plopping down on the couch next to Bella. "He seemed to think it wasn't a good idea to leave these two home alone." _He was worried about your bloodlust, how's that coming?_

"We were fine, Alice," I interjected before Charlie could say anything. "Bella slept while I studied."

"Well, I guess I had better head back to work, then. There's pizza left, if you like. Your brother didn't eat much." Charlie was slowly putting on his jacket and seeming a bit more relaxed with the situation. Having Alice here made him feel that nothing inappropriate would happen.

"Thanks, Charlie. He's not much of a pizza guy," Alice replied with a laugh, waving as he left.

As soon as the door closed behind him Bella turned on us both. "So, Alice, are you a vampire as well?"

My heart froze when she asked that, but Alice just laughed. _She would have figured it out soon anyway since you can't seem to stay away from her,_ she thought. "Yes, I am, but you're not supposed to know that, or even know they exist."

"Then why did you tell me?" she asked, waving her hand over the box of scarves. "I assume that was the point?"

"It was," Alice replied, warning me to silence in her mind. "But, the others don't know you know, and you're not supposed to know, so act as if you don't know, you know?"

This made Bella laugh, as was Alice's intent. "And you told me why?" she asked again.

"Because you were going to figure it out soon anyway," Alice said with a shrug. "I figured this way we could talk to you." Bella relaxed back into the couch, cringing a little at the pain her movement caused in her leg, waving Alice on and me away when I sat up a little to help her.

"We have a rule in our world, **don't reveal the secret**, but I saw you figuring it out and asking the wrong person about us. That would have been very bad."

"Bad, how?"

"Bad, you're dead. That would have upset Edward very much, so I told you. Now I'll just ask you to not let on that you know the truth, even to the other members of my family."

"Would they…" she started to ask, seeming frightened for the first time.

"No, but we would have to leave and we would be forced to kill you to protect ourselves. I'd much prefer to turn you into a vampire and take you with us, but you're too young. Think you can just hang out for a few years? Give yourself time to finish growing up?"

When Alice asked this Bella's face registered her shock. Immediately I assumed she was appalled at Alice's casual reference to killing her, but then a smile began to form on her face. "You want to take me with you?" she asked, her eyes traveling from my sister to me.

"Yes," I answered her with a smile, rising from my chair to kneel before her. "But like Alice said, it's too soon to change you. We prefer to wait until you're an adult. It will make eternity easier for you." Taking her hand in mine I cradled it gentle, very aware of just how fragile she was. "That way people would be more willing to believe that you are my wife."

* * *

Sorry to be posting so late! Have a great night!


	3. Chapter 3 Analysis

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Parkward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Analysis

* * *

All during breakfast people kept coming up and giving us their congratulations. Edward was positively beaming, and I was sure I was as well. The real surprise came when he asked for the check and was told that it had already been paid by someone else who was no longer in the restaurant. It seemed that many had offered, having enjoyed the romance of the show, so we just thanked everyone remaining for being so sweet as Edward pulled me from the restaurant.

"Now where?" I asked, wondering where he was heading. It was the wrong direction to go to his parent's house, where I assumed we'd go next.

"The jewelers," he replied, drawing it out as if he was surprised I had forgotten.

"Why? I already have a ring." It really was pretty, and when the sun hit it you could see the prism of light being thrown from the diamonds going through the emerald. It was really lovely.

"Because we'll need a wedding ring to go with it. When I bought it the jeweler told me he could design a band to fit." He still seemed a little nervous as he glanced over to me. "Do you really like it?"

I couldn't help but giggle. "Yes, Edward, really really." His easy smile returned and he pulled my hand from where I was admiring the ring in the light and lifted it to his lips. "What kind of ring do you want?" I asked, thinking it would be nice to have something that went with mine.

"What would you think about me getting something with emeralds in it as well?" I actually bounced a little. It was so nice when we actually agreed completely. It made decisions so much easier. "It could even go in a wave like yours." Yep, this was going to be easy.

When we arrived the jeweler had a few men's rings out to show us, along with a drawing of what he thought would go with my ring. Just in case he had also set out an array of traditional diamond rings, as well as loose diamonds if I liked the setting and just wanted to swap the emerald for a diamond. I liked the ring just the way it was.

Deciding upon Edward's ring was actually a little tough. There were so many that would work just fine that we were both having trouble choosing. "If I may?" the man asked, slipping my ring from my finger. We watched as he put it on one of the fake hands and started sliding men's rings next to it. Once they were up close it was easier to eliminate the ones that didn't go as well as we had thought.

After careful analysis we finally chose one that had a small swirl to it, with three tiny emeralds embedded in the metal. We also picked which design we liked best for my wedding ring. "We'll keep it on file, sir, so if you want to match the wedding band on the other side, say for your tenth or twenty-fifth anniversary, you can." We laughed at that, it seemed so far away.

Edward's ring needed to be specially made, so we wouldn't be getting it for a while. For some reason I wanted to brand him as much as he had me. "What would you think of wearing an engagement ring?" I asked quietly, eyeing the simple, thin gold bands.

"I don't think I'd look good in your ring," he chuckled, but then noticed where I was looking. "But, I do like what you're thinking. I like the thought of everyone knowing I belong to you already." Luckily those were really cheap, only around one hundred dollars, and could be sized while we waited.

My stomach was actually rumbling again by the time we had finished and I was surprised to see it was well past lunch time. "How long have we been here?" I asked, incredulous that it was really so late.

"About three hours," the salesman said with a smile, polishing my ring after he had made an impression of it. He needed that in order to fit the wedding band to it. "Time flies when you're having fun!"

"How about we get some lunch at my parent's and tell them the good news?" Edward asked after a brief, but not fully resolved, argument over who was paying for his rings. I only caved because he made the point that it really wasn't going to matter in the long run, once our bank accounts were joined.

When we finally walked in it was to discover the entire family waiting for us in the living room. Every one of them had an expectant smile on their face, so Edward had apparently told them he planned on proposing. When they saw our smiles they all started calling congratulations and lining up to give us hugs, except for Alice. She took one look at Edward's hand, grabbed it and screamed, "You eloped?"

* * *

I haven't read through this again, so please excuse mistakes!


	4. Chapter 4 Campaign

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Hitchhiker  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Campaign  
**Dialogue Flex**: "I do solemnly swear…" he said.

* * *

Listening intently I tried to hear what Edward was discussing with my father, but couldn't make out any of the words. Their voices were like hums of sound, one low and gruff, the other musical. With a sigh I resigned myself to the fact that I needed to change, the smell of the blood must be torment for Edward. Of course, the more I thought about that the more I wondered how he managed being a surgeon.

The jeans were ruined, Edward had ripped them open to get to my leg, so I started sliding them off with the intent of throwing them away. Only, they caught on the bandage, making me hiss in pain. Not a second later Edward's voice called up the stairs, "Bella, are you all right?"

"I'm just having trouble getting my jeans off," I huffed. That was immediately followed by the sound of footsteps running up the stairs, far too heavy to be Edward's. "Dad, I'll get it," I called out, hoping to stall him.

"Don't be silly, Bella," Edward answered, pushing open the door with my dad behind him. I quickly pulled down my shirt to cover myself, making him chuckle and my dad glare daggers. "I'm a surgeon, Bella," he reminded me, although it seemed to be more for my dad. "I've had to cut lots of women's clothes off when I was doing my ER rotation." He turned to grab a pair of scissors off of my desk, and I could have sworn I saw him wink at my dad. "I promise not to look, but I don't want you ripping out your stitches."

The last seemed to mollify my dad some, but he still watched intently as Edward knelt down in front of me, his lips twitching as he fought a grin. Grasping the material where he had ripped it before he inserted the scissors, being sure to place one of his fingers between the blade and my leg. Feeling that one finger travel up my leg was highly arousing, and I gripped his shoulders to keep upright. It didn't help that Edward was staring up at me through his lashes as he cut, his eyes ablaze.

Being careful to not cut over my stitches he angled the scissors in some, growing frustrated when he reached the waistband since they weren't quite sharp enough to get through the material. In a movement so fast I almost missed it he pulled out the scissors and simply ripped the material as easily as if it was fine gauze. One glance at my dad and I could tell he had no idea what had happened, although he seemed relieved that Edward's hands were no longer on me.

With a tug on my shirt to recover me Edward got up gracefully. "You can finish changing now, but I recommend you only wear loose fitting pants for a few days." His voice was coldly clinical as he said this, but his fingers trailed softly along mine as he pulled out the wet washcloth I had forgotten was there. I could see a wet spot on his shoulder where I had gripped it and grimaced. "This is cold, I'll heat it up for you," he said with a smile, turning away to look at my dad he added, "Let's give her some privacy." I wasn't surprised it was my father returning the cloth to me a moment later, now much warmer.

"What were you and Edward talking about?" I asked Charlie as I washed the now-dried blood from my leg.

"You," he said with a chuckle. "He wanted to make it clear that he was in a campaign for your hand."

"Campaign? What, like he's running for office?" I giggled, turning over the cloth to get to a clean side.

"I do solemnly swear…" he said, holding up his right arm with a laugh before becoming serious again. "He's got the right idea, though. I like that he asked me formally if he could date you, show's respect, for you." I decided not to mention that he had once kidnapped me, but couldn't hold in the snort of laughter. "Well, it does," he argued, thinking I was mocking his comment.

"I think it does for you, dad," I said quietly, thanking Edward in my heart. If he was going to be changing me into a vampire and taking me from Charlie, being good to him was the least he could do. "Would you please throw me my sweats?" I asked, indicating them hanging over the back of my desk chair.

"Sure thing," he replied, tossing them to me. "Give me the cloth and I'll rinse it out. Call me when you're ready to head back down."

"I'm sure Edward will carry me. I don't want you to hurt your back."

"He does seem pretty strong. I'll leave you alone to dress, don't forget to change your shirt as well." I looked down and saw some blood on the hem and grimaced.

As soon as Charlie was gone I stripped off the shirt and hobbled over to my closet to pull on a t-shirt. "I think I prefer you without," I heard Edward's smooth voice behind me, making me squeak and turn quickly. This put me off balance and I started to fall over, my hands going out in front of me to try to catch my fall, but all I met were Edward's arms, pulling me in close. "This is nice," he crooned.

"If my dad catches you in here with me mostly naked he'll shoot you," I hissed, pretending to pull away but unable to move even an inch.

"I just couldn't resist," he said, trailing a finger down from my collarbone to trace the top of my bra. "This pull is just as strong as your blood." His nose came down and trailed along my neck, following the path his fingers had made earlier. "But I will, until you're ready. I'll be downstairs." Then he was gone, I barely saw a glimmer of him as he leapt out of the window. I quickly pulled my shirt and sweats on and hobbled over to the door, willing down the heat that suffused my face.

When I opened the door he was standing on the other side, a grin on his face, my dad standing behind him. "Shall I carry you?" Edward asked, a grin on his face.

* * *

Baboo's birthday! I'm posting and running!


	5. Chapter 5 Administration

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Administration

* * *

Edward didn't ask me out again. Not once did the word 'date' cross his lips. That's not to say he left me alone, though. At all. The very next morning he was banging on my door with a container of take-out breakfast from the very diner Alice had taken me to the other day. "You need to eat," was all he said when I groggily opened the door to him. If it hadn't smelled so good I would have sworn at him.

He stayed in the apartment until he had to report to work, doing dishes, answering the phone – something that freaked out my mother – and making sure I had no distractions. Well, except him, and whenever he caught me looking his way he would scold me to get back to work.

The third day he brought over a laptop and a flash drive and started editing my thesis. I had an editor, paid a great deal of money for her in fact, but he still managed to catch a few errors. "No one is perfect, Bella," he said when I informed him of this. "That's why you need more than one reviewer." It turned out to be a good thing, too, because he caught that I had mislabeled a painting his mother owned, something my editor wouldn't even know.

The fourth day I gave him his own key so I wouldn't have to answer the door. While there was a huge possibility I would regret that, the lack of interruption was worth it. So was the smile that came over his face. Granted, that distracted me for a few hours.

Now the week had passed and I was standing in front of not only my thesis committee but also the museum administration. Thankfully Esme was also there, smiling at me. I knew Edward had taken the time off of work to sit in the hallway and offer me his support that way, having squeezed my hand in encouragement as I walked by.

Time seemed to speed by and be suspended at the same time. It was surreal to answer question after question posed by everyone. Whenever I stumbled I glanced at Esme, who was beaming and giving me surreptitious thumbs up, making me smile and giving me the confidence I needed to answer whatever they asked.

Finally my committee asked to speak to me alone. Edward's eye caught mine when the door was opened, his eyebrow arched in question, but Esme drew him aside to talk. When they were all gone I looked to my professor who wasn't smiling. "We have only one concern, Bella," he said, shuffling uncomfortably in his chair. The other members cast furtive glances at each other, also looking uncomfortable but resolute.

"What is that, sir?" I asked, my stomach tying itself in knots. My eyes cast about for a garbage can in case the nausea I felt resulted in an unfortunate consequence.

My committee looked at each other again, shifting some more, making a feeling of dread grow in me. "We just wondered how much help you got from your boyfriend, Edward Cullen."

I groaned. Didn't I tell him this would happen? "I'm not dating Edward Cullen, Dr Smith. He asked me out, and I did go on one date with him, but told him that I refused to go on any more until my degree was finished and I had a job." I shifted on my feet, hoping they believed me. "I found out he was my neighbor a few months ago, when I banged on his door to turn down the music." They didn't seem to believe me, so I pushed on. "I swear, the only thing he's done is provide food and a final read through on my thesis." I knew I had to get my emotions under control, I was going to need that garbage can really soon.

They all looked incredulous. "I have it on good authority," Dr. Smith said, looking like my dad when I was in trouble, "that the two of you traveled together a few months ago."

I rolled my eyes. "That's because he wouldn't let me drive! I had just gotten the call that my dad had a heart attack and he was outside his apartment with his brother. When he saw me he took away my keys, saying I wasn't safe."

They looked at each other again and I could see the disbelief in their eyes. Anger filled me, causing tears to prick at my eyes. "I swear, sir, all the work is mine." I wanted to go on, but didn't know what I could say to convince them.

My hands were balling into fists when there was a knock on the door and Esme poked her head in. "May I speak?" she asked, not waiting for permission before going on. "These walls are thin, so I heard what you were asking." Walking over she placed an arm around my shoulders. "Trust me, she hasn't been dating my son. In fact, she's refused all his offers to help. I know because he was always on the phone complaining to either me or his siblings, wondering what he should do. It was his sister's idea to make sure Bella was fed, since she's been losing weight as she prepared for this." She fixed a glare on every member of my committee and I could see them cower under the weight of it. "She has done an excellent job, and I fully expect you to give her a grade commiserate with her efforts if you expect me to ever work with you or the university again."

That made them all sit up straight. "We meant nothing, we just have to be sure," Dr. Smith continued, his voice fearful. If Esme donated as much to the university as she did the museum then he had reason to be afraid.

"Then I expect you will take my word for it?" she asked, but it wasn't a question. "Good," she said, not really waiting for them to answer, "because I want her working here at the museum, and to put my poor son out of his misery."

"Um, we need to deliberate, if you'll both excuse us?" Dr. Smith asked. With a nod Esme grabbed my arm and pulled me from the room.

"Thanks, Mrs. Cullen," I whispered after the door shut behind us.

"Why don't you call me mom?" she said with a smile before pulling me into a hug. "And _please _date my son _before _he drives us all insane?"

"Yes, ma'am," I whispered back. "Just please don't tell him until _after _I get my job?"

"Sounds good," she giggled, pulling away from me. I could feel Edward's closeness behind me, the heat of his body feeling comforting. He didn't say anything, just stood there offering his comfort.

The butterflies in my stomach were riotous, and went into overdrive when they called back in the museum's administration. A few minutes later I was called in. "Please take a seat," Dr. Smith said, indicating an empty chair that had been pulled into a circle.

After clearing his throat he smiled. "Actually, we were thinking you did doctorate level work, Bella, which is why we were sure you had gotten help. If you're interested, we'd be happy to offer you an endowment to continue your work. Or, if you'd rather, you can work for the museum and take classes part time?"

I was floored. "I have a job, then?" I asked, realizing I was hopeful it was true for more reasons than just having a steady income.

"You have a job," the docent answered with a smile. "After six months of working for us, we pay tuition, if you're interested."

It was too good to be true, and tears formed in my eyes. Unlike before, these were tears of joy. "I'd like to have the job," I whispered, "and continue my education."

"Just so you know, we don't care if you date Edward. Actually I think it speaks well of you that he is so interested in you," the docent said.

"Thanks Dr. Banner," I said, smiling hugely. "I look forward to working here."

"Well, then, we'll see you on Monday at eight?" At my nod he chuckled. "Now please go put that boy out of his misery. Mrs. Cullen wasn't kidding."

I laughed and excused myself, thanking them all again. Walking out the door my eyes immediately found Edward. He smiled hesitantly at first, but on seeing my face he broke into a huge grin. "Does this mean what I think it means?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me.

"Yep, busy tonight?" I teased.

"I am now," he replied.

* * *

Sorry I didn't post Friday! It's been a super busy weekend. On the plus side, I got my garden ready for winter two days before it snowed again.


	6. Chapter 6 Light

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Light

* * *

Nobody moved for a moment. My eyes were glued to Bella, able to see the raw panic and fear on her face as she stared at Mr. Slovak. Looking back I noticed that Mr. Romanski had joined Mr. Slovak, and even the reclusive Mr. Stregoni was there. All three were looking at me, even though the gun was still trained on Bella. Then Mr. Slovak smiled.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, my dear boy," he said as if he was a father scolding a child. "So sad that it has come to this, but I must insist upon your answer." He walked into the apartment, followed by the other two. Mr. Stregoni closed and locked the door behind him. The click felt like a sound of doom. "We can avoid so much unpleasantness if you just agree."

"Unpleasant for whom?" I asked. "There is no scenario where this seems pleasant for us."

"But you're wrong, Edward," he replied jovially, taking a seat on the couch, the gun never faltering in pointing down the hall to Bella. "With your brains, you would be high in the company. Your girl there," he continued, waving the gun up and down, "had grades in college that make yours seem average. We would happily pay for the rest of her education, and guarantee her entrance into any graduate school she desires. The only payment we desire is loyalty to us, for which you will both be well compensated. You'll want for nothing."

"Except freedom," I retorted, causing him to sigh.

"Are we ever truly free?" he lamented. "There is always a boss, client, parent, lover or child demanding our time and attention. What difference does it make if we are your bosses or someone else?"

He looked at his partners, then over to Bella before returning to me. "Why are you all standing? Are we not having a discussion of employment? Please, please, come sit with me." He waved us all to other seats, as if he owned the place.

Misters Romanski and Stregoni flanked him on the couch as Bella slowly, painfully, made her way over to me. My eyes were glued to her as she moved, watching that she seemed to be walking with a little difficulty. I wouldn't be surprised if having that teenager fall on her had left her with a few bruises, but mostly she seemed torn over returning to my side. When I reached out my hand to her, however, she all but broke into a run the final steps, leaping into my arms.

Putting my arms around her was like walking into heaven, even as we faced down the devil himself. "Oh, Bella, don't leave me again," I groaned into her hair, breathing her in.

"I wanted to protect you," she replied, her voice low and rough. It was obvious she was quite hoarse, and now that I was paying attention, she seemed feverish.

"Are you ill?" I asked, pushing her back a little and placing a hand on her extremely warm face. Panic was building because I could see how weak she really was. Her trouble walking had to be more than what I had already surmised.

"I'll live," she said with a laugh, her eyes darting to the gun that was still trained on her.

"Oh, I do love happy reunions!" Mr. Slovak cried, the gun never wavering. I could feel Bella tremble in my arms so I reached down and swept her feet from underneath her to carry her the rest of the way to the couch. My heart ached when I felt how light she had become, even slighter than she had been when she first came to my home. "It is so good to see the two of you together again," Mr. Slovak continued, "please be comfortable so we can discuss this reasonably."

With my back to them I peered down into her face. "Do you want this?" I whispered and was gratified to see her shake her head slightly. Pretending to struggle under her weight I asked, "What do you want?"

"Freedom, and you," she whispered back. "But if I have to chose, then I chose you. I can't stay away any longer. I was coming back, hoping we could run away together."

"Why don't you share with all of us what you are discussing?" Mr. Romanski growled out, making Bella flinch.

"Oh, Caius, leave them be for a moment," Mr. Slovak replied. "Can you not see the love they are sharing? It has been so long since they've been together."

"Aro, I tire of this game. They know too much." His voice was determined as he watched me place Bella on the couch. "They join or die, what is there to discuss?"

I sat next to Bella, my mind reeling, trying to come up with a way to talk our way out of this. She pushed on me, trying to keep me from shielding her with my own body. "I'm already part of the firm, Mr. Slovak. What more do you need?"

Mr. Romanski leered at me. "You work for us, yes, but you are not a member of the Volturi group." Bella gasped as he said this. "You will be transferred."

"Of course," Mr. Slovak interrupted, "we understand that it will take time for Bella to finish her education. From what her records indicate it will be another two years at least for her to finish. You could simply live here until that time, nothing changing, until that time." His relaxed posture shifted as he leaned forward, fixing us both with a look of resolve. "Naturally, we would need proof of your continued cooperation."

At that moment Tabitha was drug from her room by none other than Demetri. Her hands were bound behind her back, a gag was in her mouth, and a gun was held to her head. Demetri slammed her against the wall, causing her head to hit with a sickening bang, and backed away, the gun still trained on her.

"Now Edward, Bella," Mr. Slovak said, rising from the couch, the gun handle turned to us. "You only need to kill her to prove you have joined us, or," he continued, his smile making my spine shiver as he turned the gun back around to point at Bella again, "you can die. Which will it be?"

* * *

MaraBenefici guessed it was the Volturi quite a while ago, and since it's coming to a head, I decided to come clean.

Sorry about the time between postings, but I really need to work on my original story some (and work has been so busy I can't write there, how very odd...). For that reason I'll probably only be posting three times a week. I'll try for more, but make no promises.

xoxo!


	7. Chapter 7 Wand

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Wand

* * *

It was difficult each month as my period came again and again. But the prospect of the upcoming cruise kept a smile on my face. We had decided on going to Hawaii, since I'd never been. Edward had reserved us a suite, complete with a concierge and butler, something that made me giggle whenever I thought of it.

Even with that on the horizon my mood was all over the place. It had been five months of trying, not that I minded the trying, but patience was never my strong suit.

Regarding me at dinner one night Edward shook his head. "Bella, if I could wave a magic wand and get you pregnant I would," he said, trying to console me. I knew he was getting frustrated as well, but was doing much better at handling it.

Still, I couldn't help but giggle at what he said. "I thought you were already doing that."

He looked at me in confusion for a moment before what I had said dawned on him. Setting down his fork he rose from his seat and came around the table to kneel in front of me, his eyes like green fire. "Well, I must admit I'm in the mood for some wand waving," he crooned as he spread my knees, pulling me forward in my seat so he could wrap my legs around his waist.

"Hmm, I don't think it'll work at the moment, though," I sighed, counting the days from when my last period was and remembering my temperature this morning.

Looking down with a lifted eyebrow he replied, "Oh, I don't know. It looks like it's working just fine to me."

"Huh?" I asked, then looked down where he was looking and saw what he meant. "Oh, yes, that seems to be working just fine." But then I wondered, was it?

"What are you thinking?" he asked me, and I realized he had been sucking on my neck but my head had been working through why I wasn't pregnant. "Bella? If you don't want to do this…"

"No, I want to," I assured him, squeezing him with my thighs. "I was just wondering if maybe it wasn't me that was the problem."

He stilled on my neck. "You think I'm shooting blanks?" He pulled out from between my legs and swung a chair around to sit in it. At first I worried that he might be offended, but the look on his face was speculative.

"It's a possibility. Or, I've heard of some women who are, like, allergic to their husband's sperm. Their body kills them all off before they can reach the egg." I had heard one of my mom's friends complaining that was why they hadn't been able to get pregnant. At the time all I could think was how gross that sounded, but now…

"Or, maybe you aren't actually ovulating, or maybe an ovum can't implant, or maybe a million other things," he said with a sigh. "The fact is that we still have nineteen more months before an infertility specialist will even talk to us." He scrubbed a hand through his hair and I noticed I had killed the mood.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, leaving my chair to kneel in front of him.

"For?" he asked.

Trailing my fingers of his crotch, where he was now most definitely no longer aroused I replied, "For deflating the magic wand."

It twitched some under my touch. "I don't think it's a permanent condition," he chuckled. "In fact, it seems your hands might have some magic in them."

Palming him I smiled. "I think the magic comes when they work together."

He leaned back in his chair, letting his lips slide forward so I could press on him more easily. "The magic works better when there's nothing between your hands and the wand, you know."

"Oh? I seem to remember reading the Harry Potter books, and nowhere did it mention that they had to remove their gloves." Even as I spoke I was pulling his belt, undoing the buckle.

"True," he moaned, "but they always pulled it out of their jeans." I popped open his button and hummed in agreement. "In fact, they usually whipped it out quickly."

"Oh, really?" I asked, slowly pulling down his zipper, making sure to take my time.

"Yes, really. It would be sad if it broke from removing it too slowly." His voice was a groan of pain, his hands gripping the sides of his chair.

"That would be sad, but if it comes out too quickly it might poke me in the eye," I teased, finally reaching the bottom of the zipper.

"Oh, it definitely plans on poking you, but that wasn't one of the places it was considering," he chuckled, wiggling his hips so his jeans would move enough to release the pressure on him. He actually sighed some when I pulled his jeans down, although that was understandable. From the way it jumped eye-poking was definitely a possibility so I leaned back. "That's not the direction I was hoping your head was going in." His hand wove into my hair as he leaned forward.

"I don't remember them ever sticking their wands in their mouths." I rested my chin on his leg, placing my mouth very close to where he was wanted it, internally rejoicing as he twitched some more while leaning back again.

"True, but this is a special wand," he all but begged. Taking pity on him I worked my fingers under the edge of his underwear and pulled them down, freeing him completely.

"My, what an impressive piece of wood you have there Mr. Cullen," I said, lightly trailing a finger down the vein.

He glared at me. "That's it. Play time is over." Lunging for me he grabbed me around the waist and hauled me over his shoulder. I let out a scream that was part laugh, but we didn't get very far. Two steps later his jeans fell and twisted around his ankles, unbalancing him just enough to have to drop me. This time my scream was real as I landed hard on my backside. It was probably lucky for him that it also knocked the wind out of me, but it was definitely lucky for me that he managed to not fall on me.

"Bella? Are you all right?" he cried, wincing as he twisted around again so he could look at me. "Oh, no, I've hurt you, haven't I?" Wiping a tear from my face he was shocked when I let out a laugh in between trying to gasp for air. "Are you honestly laughing?"

"I just can't," I gasped for breath, "help but think," another gasp, "that maybe this is," gasp, "God's way of telling us," hiccup, "why we aren't getting pregnant."

"What?" His face was full of confusion as he fought to not smile at my soon to be hysterical laughter.

"Oh, imagine how uncoordinated the poor thing will be," I told him once I could finally get out a full sentence.

He kicked off his jeans and stood up, reaching down a hand to me. "In that case, why don't we take this someplace safer?" I took his hand and let him lead me to the bedroom.

* * *

Sorry I'm so fail this week! Hopefully this lemon drop will make you feel better.


	8. Chapter 8 Whomp

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Alternate MS/Twilight  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Whomp

* * *

Bella stared at me in surprise as Alice's thought whipped over me. _Too soon to mention her being your wife, idiot!_ I could see images, uncertain and fleeting, going through her mind. Some were of Bella joining us, others were of her leaving. I was surprised how my heart clenched in fear when it was the latter.

To Bella she was much more gentle, "That's not a requirement for you, although I guess you now know my brother's got your whole life planned out." If I could, I would blush, matching Bella's face. Although what I wished for most was the ability to read her mind.

But Alice wasn't done. "He just likes to whomp out his way of doing something, forgetting that the there are others with different ideas."

"I don't think that's possible, Alice," I cut in, pointing to my forehead.

"Just because you hear doesn't mean you listen," she quipped, making Bella giggle. Alice's visions cleared some at the sound, as if Bella had made a decision with her reaction. Once again we were walking hand in hand, but I didn't see a ring. Then again, Bella didn't seem much older.

"Well, I think you two need to chat," Alice said as she hopped up from the couch at vampire speed, making Bella start. "I'll leave you to it." She was out the door and running back to school with the thought of taking Jasper hunting in less than a second. Bella stared after her with her mouth hanging open.

"Are you all that fast?" she asked.

"No," I said smugly, "I'm faster. Emmett is slower, but then again he's bigger and the strongest I've ever met. Probably because he was very strong in his human life."

Her eyes were still on the door. "And you? Did you bring something from your human life?"

"I'm very good at the piano." She turned and looked at me shrewdly, obviously expecting more. "I can read minds." When she heard that her face erupted into a glorious blush, the smell of her blood rushing to her face almost pulling me from my seat. I was forced to grip the arms of the chair to keep my place as the scent of her wafted over.

"Can you read mine?" Her question cut through the haze of my bloodlust making me instantly wonder what thoughts she might have that would make her blush so.

"No," I answered truthfully, "but your question makes me curious as to what you are thinking." I hadn't thought it possible but her blush actually deepened. "Please tell me?" She shook her head.

Sighing in frustration I changed tactics, choosing instead to use what seemed to work on Mrs. Cope when I wanted something. Lowering my chin I gazed up at her through my lashes. "Please?"

Her face went blank, definitely not the reaction I was expecting. "Please what?" she asked, as if she had forgotten the question.

"Please tell me what you're thinking?"

"That I would like to be with you as if we were married, but I don't want to get married," she blurted out, her hands covering her mouth after it all came spilling out. I rolled her words around in my mind, not understanding why she was embarrassed by them, but then it struck me. She wanted to _be _with me, like a wife.

I shifted uncomfortably, my eyes dropping to the floor, because that thought had the normal reaction to be found in any seventeen-year-old male, but also because my upbringing frowned so heavily on any kind of activity like that before marriage. "I've never," I began, but she cut me off.

"Neither have I." My eyes shot up, my smile huge in spite of the burn in my throat that another hot blush set off. "But I would like…" she trailed off, shaking her head and once again staring at the wall.

I knew what she wanted. Sex was definitely too far, we had only known each other for days, and while I had killed, often, with her I wanted to do this right. However, a kiss wouldn't be out of line. Did we not declare our feelings for each other?

Rising slowly from my chair, my movement drawing her attention, I crossed over to where she was. Lowering myself to my knees I took her hands in one of mine, pulling her forward. My other hand cupped her face as the nearness of her blushing face turned my throat into an inferno. "Stay very still," I whispered, closing in.

The monster inside of me, the one that had offered to escort her to her next class when I first met her, was screaming for release. Thankfully there was another voice, another hunger, just as strong and needing her healthy and whole. I wanted to be with her like a husband, when I was her husband. I mentally shoved both into a corner of my mind, trapping them there and only focusing on being gentle.

Knowing I had both desires under control I lightly pressed my lips to hers. She gasped, opening her mouth slightly to do so, wrenched her hands from my grip to throw them around my shoulders as she launched herself from her seat, wrapping her legs around my waist. Both monsters roared to life, pressing against every barrier I had erected in my mind.

When her tongue touched my lips I almost lost control of both. The taste and feel of her was overwhelming, and the part of me demanding blood was shouting that I could have both. I could take her, seducing her on this couch, only to feed from her when that other lust was sated. Instead I placed both hands on her face, pulled it away from mine and froze.

"Sorry," she whispered as she tried to pull her head away. The bloodlust reared up, much like a predator does when it sees its prey trying to escape, so I forced my eyes closed.

"Don't move," I whispered again, holding her still as I beat both back into a corner of my brain. Thankfully she remained unmoving, only the movement of her lungs as she breathed her sweet scent into my face and the beating of her heart indicated that she was alive.

Finally I was able to open my eyes and smile. Seeing her flushed face and apologetic eyes made me laugh, as if I was sad I had caused that reaction in her! If only I could kiss her without having to battle my own reactions. The twin monsters seemed subdued, so I cocked my head and determined to try again. "Don't move," I whispered and pressed my lips to hers lightly once more, and while she did groan, filling my mouth with her taste, she held still, allowing me to kiss her more thoroughly.

The monsters were fighting again so I pulled away. Bella's eyes were closed and she looked like she was dreaming. Her heart was pounding, but began to slow as I released her and sat back on my heels. She had survived, and I was rejoicing over my first kiss.

* * *

Happy Monday!


	9. Chapter 9 Birthday

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Parkward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Birthday  
**Dialogue Flex**: "I've changed," she answered.

* * *

Rolling his eyes Edward pulled his hand away from his sister. "No, Alice, we didn't elope. This is just a temporary band until we get married. Geez, you never change," he laughed, reaching up to ruffle her hair.

"I've changed," she answered sulkily, swatting at his hand. "But you can't come in here, wearing a ring, and not expect me to wonder."

"Well, I want to see Bella's ring," Esme chimed in, stepping between her two children and giving them the look that all mother's perfect. They immediately stopped horsing around and I presented her my hand. Alice and Rose leaned in as well and soon a chorus of 'oohs' and 'ahs' could be heard.

In typical Emmett fashion he grabbed Edward's hand and started exclaiming in a high-pitched voice, "Oh, Edward, it's so pretty! I simply love it!" while he danced around. He probably would have continued but Esme called his name in her 'mom voice', stopping him short. I thought it was wonderful how they all obeyed her with a smile, knowing they were being chastised but loving her all the same.

"Have you told your parents?" Esme asked me with a smile.

Shaking my head I told her, "Not yet. We can call my dad tonight, and I'll just let my mom see it when we get off the plane. It'll be more fun that way."

"When are you going?" She began walking to the kitchen, indicating that I should follow. It was a good idea since it seemed Edward and Emmett were now starting to wrestle, with Jasper laughing off to the side.

"We were thinking around my birthday. It's only a few weeks away. She'll like that, especially since I'm bringing her a present!" I couldn't help but laugh at what my mother's reaction to Edward would be. He was handsome, a doctor, suave, a doctor, talented, a doctor, respectful and most importantly, a doctor.

"How old will you be?" Esme asked, and I realized I didn't know how old she was, or when her birthday was. That was true for all the other members of the family as well. I only knew that Emmett was older and Alice was younger.

"I'll be twenty-eight," I told her as I took a seat on one of the stools at the counter. Absentmindedly I reached for a vegetable peeler and began to work on the carrots she had laying next to it. She turned quickly from me, but I was pretty sure she saw what I was doing and smiled. When she didn't ask another question for a couple minutes, but kept shooting me furtive looks, I finally broke the silence. "What do you want to ask? I promise not to be offended."

"No, but you'll think I'm meddling," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"How about I promise to feel that way either? In fact, I promise to consider whatever you want to ask objectively." My hand was raised as if I was in a court taking an oath, which made her laugh.

"I wondered if you two had talked about having kids? I know you think you're young, but it's better to have them when you have plenty of energy." She was still trying to look uninterested in my answer in the hope of not getting me upset, but her question rocked me to the core. Children was something we hadn't really discussed, and she was probably right.

"Um," I started, but Edward walked in just then, his hair and shirt in disarray but a smile on his face. Emmett came stomping in behind him, calling for a rematch.

He waved off his brother and pulled me from my seat. "Excuse us please, mom," he said as he pulled me along. She nodded, looking a bit confused. I was a lot confused. I didn't have to wait long for my explanation, though.

As soon as he had me seated on a couch in his father's office he started in. "Kids? I want them. I don't want to wait since I'll be thirty-two before any are born."

"Sounds good to me. I like the idea of being a mom."

"Shall we live at your place until we can buy a house?" he asked, "Since I don't think you want to live with my parents."

"Or until the baby comes, mine's only a one bedroom," I reminded him.

His brow furrowed for a moment, obviously thinking. "Maybe we should start saving for a house of our own. It doesn't have to big and fancy, just three bedrooms?"

"With a nice kitchen and garage?" I added. "We could put money aside every month so when the time comes we can have a down payment."

"No eating out anymore, then" he interjected apologetically. "Maybe we should sit down with a calculator and our bills and figure this all out." He didn't seem very excited by the idea and I got the impression I would be the one taking care of the finances.

Pointing to his father's computer I lifted my purse. "I have my checkbook and all my bills are paid online. The credit cards and bank will have months worth of statements there we can look at. Maybe we should make up a budget?" I squirmed a little at my next thought. "My dad can't afford a big wedding, I'm afraid."

He smiled and came to sit next to me. "Bella, as long as you're there it'll be perfect. Now let's get to work on that budget."

* * *

Ah, the things you should discuss before getting married! My poor baboo had to teach me how to budget. It was painful for both of us. Oddly enough, I take care of the bills, though.


	10. Chapter 10 Technology

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Hitchhiker  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Technology

* * *

"I'm pretty sure I can make it down a flight of stairs," I laughed as Edward held his arms out to me and my dad rolled his eyes.

"They have yet to invent technology to assist the incurably clumsy and I don't want those stitches to tear, or have to set a broken leg after you tumble down the stairs," he quipped, causing Charlie to snicker behind him.

I rolled my eyes but soon found myself being lifted over his shoulder. "Hey!" I exclaimed, "Put me down!" Charlie's snicker turned into a guffaw.

"I will," Edward said as he floated smoothly down the stairs. "As soon as it's safe."

Charlie followed us down, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile until I pointed at him sternly. Then he would fake a frown, only to have his mouth start twitching again. "I suppose you think this is hilarious," I asked him grumpily.

"Well, I must say, Bella, that only you could tear a four-inch gash in your leg with a nail that was only sticking out a few millimeters." I growled at him but he just waved it off. "Can't say I'm going to complain about him taking care of you, and you really should see your face."

We must have reached the couch because Edward dropped me quickly, catching me with one hand behind my back so that he could gently place me on the cushions. I glared at him, but he only laughed. "You look like a kitten who thinks she's a tiger," he teased, lightly touching my nose.

Charlie chuckled through his groan as he sat down on his recliner. "I'd be careful, Edward, that kitten still has teeth and claws."

"True," he agreed placing his hand on my cheek, stroking it slightly with his thumb, "but she's also soft and warm."

"Yes, well," Charlie said with an uncomfortable cough, "um, how did you get into surgery?"

With a wink at me Edward turned to talk to my father. "Carlisle was already working as a surgeon, and being quite successful. I was at Dartmouth in my junior year when he asked me to join him, wanting to either set up a practice or join one in a nice small town that would be safe for our family." He shifted next to me, giving me a smile.

As they continued talking Edward began to absentmindedly trace patterns on my good leg with his fingers. At least I thought they were absentminded until I looked up once during the conversation to see him looking down, fire in his eyes. That's when I noticed that his fingers were following the lines of my panties, just not rising high enough for Charlie to notice.

My breathing was picking up with his slow seduction. At one point I tried to grab his hand, a move he covered by lifting it to his lips and placing a kiss on my knuckles. He then returned our hands to the couch so his fingers could restart their hidden torture. It wasn't long before Charlie was asking if I was hurting, and trying to cover it up by breathing deeply. "Perhaps you should take something and go up to bed?" he asked, giving me the escape I needed.

"All right," I said, trying to pull myself up only to wobble on my bad leg. It really hurt when I pulled it a certain way, and my gasp of pain didn't go unnoticed by either man.

"Um, maybe you could carry her back up?" my dad asked. Edward readily agreed and picked me up as if I weighed nothing and headed for the stairs.

"Do you need help changing again?" he asked quietly, his fingers once again trailing fire on my leg, but this time it was the bad one and he was being careful to avoid my injury.

"Does changing imply other clothes coming back on?" I asked, my stomach fluttering over what his reply might be.

He chuckled darkly as he placed me on the bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes, after I wish your father a goodnight." And then he was gone. Seconds later I heard my father's gruff voice telling him goodnight and thanking him for taking care of me. I couldn't help but wonder what my dad would think if he knew what Edward's intentions really were.

Knowing I didn't have much time I reached back and unhooked my bra, pulling the straps down through the sleeves before yanking it out from under my t-shirt. I didn't trust myself to be fast enough to actually remove the shirt and get it back on before he was back through my window. "I always wondered how girls do that," I heard behind me. Thankfully I was already on the bed, so when I turned too quickly it only resulted in me falling onto my elbows.

"Don't startle me like that!" I hissed, stopping myself from throwing my bra at him just in time.

He crossed over to the bed, sitting down on the opposite side. My heart began hammering wildly as he reached for me and plucked me up as if I were nothing but a small doll. Settling me into his lap his hands splayed over my back where my bra had been, gently moving up and down as he pressed me forward into his chest. "I like you without a bra," he whispered into my ear, his lips ghosting over the skin there.

As his hands slid down again, so did his lips, barely making contact with my skin. I was forced to bend over backwards to allow him access. When they reached the top of my t-shirt one hand left my back, sliding around my side and up my stomach until his fingers reached the v in the neck. "I assume you have another t-shirt?" he asked, grinning crookedly.

"Mmhmm," I answered, panting heavily at the feeling of his palm between my breasts. Then I heard a ripping sound as his fingers shredded the fabric of my shirt as easily as he had that of my jeans.

Gently he pushed one torn piece aside, baring my breast. "Mine," he whispered, leaning forward and placing a kiss on the nipple. I gasped at the feeling of his cold lips on my sensitive skin. His lips left that breast as he nosed the other piece of material aside, trailing their way to my other nipple. "Mine," he repeated as he placed another gentle kiss there.

By now my breathing was reaching a level close to hyperventilation. It seemed I would allow him anything. No matter what he asked, my car, my life, my body, I offered it up to him willingly.

Soon my head was resting on the bed, my legs still across his lap as he trailed his lips down my stomach to the edge of my sweats. "Mine," he said a third time as he pushed down on the waistband, pushing my panties lower as well. But then he froze.

In an instant he was lifting me off the bed, pulling the shreds of my t-shirt from my body and crossing to my closet and pulling out the t-shirt I normally slept in and throwing it to me. "Your father," was all he said as he vaulted out of my window.

I scrambled to pull the tattered shirt on, looking around for the one he had ripped and not seeing it as Charlie knocked on the door. "You okay in there?" he asked.

"Yes," I called back, struggling with my shirt, my voice sounding as breathless as I felt.

"You sure?" he called. "You sound kind of winded."

"I'm fine, just struggling with my shirt."

"All right, night Bells," he said, walking to his room.

"Night dad," I called back, finally managing to get my shirt down. "Night Edward," I said softly.

"Not yet," came ghosting in my window.

* * *

Something for the weekend!


	11. Chapter 11 Fire

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Fire  
**Dialogue Flex**: "Closure? What do you mean closure?"

* * *

It was with a light heart, lighter than it had been in years, that I changed from my dress into something much more comfortable. Knowing that I was gainfully employed and had a scholarship to extend my studies set my mind at ease. Knowing that Edward was waiting for me in my living room set the rest of me on fire.

When I had told Edward this afternoon that we could now date his first question was to ask what I wanted to do. My mind had gone blank instantly. "I know how tired you are," he had said, the mere mention of it causing me to sway on my feet, "so how about Chinese take-out and a movie at your place?" If there were any lingering doubts over whether he had paid attention to me or not, this answered them.

Dressed in my sweat bottoms and an old t-shirt, my hair pulled up into a messy ponytail, I hurried from the room when the doorbell rang. Our food was finally here and my stomach was quite vociferously informing me that it had been neglected all day. Reminders that it had been tied in knots throughout the morning were ignored, and it instead just rumbled all the louder.

"It'll give her closure," Edward said into his phone as he paid the pimply teenager who was delivering our food.

"Closure? What do you mean, closure?" I asked, flopping on the couch. He just winked at me, set the food on the coffee table and headed for the kitchen, still on the phone.

"Just a quiet night in. Take-out and a movie," he continued, gathering together plates, glasses, and even chop-sticks. How on earth did he know where my chop-sticks were kept? When I tried to get up to help, he waved me back, shaking his head adamantly. Instead my eyes kept a constant watch on him, noticing how smoothly and surely he moved about my apartment, as if it were his own. Come to think of it, he had been here rather consistently the last week. Enough to make me wonder if the dust had built up to an insurmountable layer on his furniture.

"Yep, love you too, and I'll tell her," he said as he hung up the phone. I just waited for an explanation, wondering why I didn't feel even a twinge of jealousy. "That was my mom, asking what our plans were." His words made me relax, and I then recognized his tone on the phone. It was the one he used with his family, firm, loving and yet somehow indulgent.

"Care to explain the 'closure' statement?" I asked as he began dishing up the food. He seemed to have ordered all of my favorites.

"Just explaining to her that you relaxing is how you find closure for something stressful." My mouth hung open in shock, how had he noticed that about me? He gave a small shrug. "You did it with your father, after his surgery and after you found out he would be fine. Your whole body relaxed when you found out your future was set. You like to relax." Giving me an evil grin he continued, "You've pissed off Alice, just so you know."

"What? How?"

"She wanted to celebrate."

"We are celebrating," I pointed out. "I'm not cooking, I'm not doing homework, in fact I'm not doing any work at all."

"You're also not bar-hopping, or shopping for new clothes for your job, or going out dancing. Although, I don't think I'd mind the dancing," he added, handing me my food before sitting next to me on the couch and picking up the remote.

"How did you know what food I like?" I asked, speaking around a huge mouthful.

"Hmm, very ladylike," he teased, handing me a napkin. "You doodle." My mouth was too full to speak, at least and not revisit everything I had shoved in there, but apparently the confusion showed on my face. "You have smiley faces drawn next to some things on the menu and mad faces next to others." He began to really chuckle. "I especially liked the vomiting face."

"It was gross," I retorted around another mouthful.

"So was that, eat and be quiet, the movie's starting." I rolled my eyes and began watching the credits go by, wondering what he had picked out. After all, he was the one who wanted to date me, and since I had made enough choices today, it was left to him to decide what we would eat and watch.

I couldn't help but laugh. _Highlander _began to play, the flash of swordplay at the opening scene making Edward watch entranced. Looking at Christopher Lambert had the same effect on me. "I'm surprised you have this movie," he whispered. "I didn't think girls liked action flicks."

"Are you kidding? _Look _at him. And Sean Connery is in it, what could be better?" Edward rolled his eyes and poked me in the side, making me jump at the tickle. Then his eyes grew wide. "I'd forgotten you were ticklish," he said, setting his plate down and looking devious.

"No tickling!" I demanded, holding up my chop-sticks like they were a line of defense, my own personal swords.

He snorted in laughter as he paused the movie. Taking my empty plate and the obviously ineffective chop-sticks from me and setting them on the table. "Come on and lay down." Shuffling around he set me in front of him, hugging me into his chest, making sure I was comfortable, and pulling the afghan from the back of the couch to cover us. My head was resting on his arm, his head was on a pillow.

The warmth of his chest, coupled with that of the blanket and my full belly lulled me into somnolence. Edward started the movie again, but the last thing I remember was Heather telling Connor, when they were done having sex, that he could do that to her anytime. I may have repeated the line, substituting Edward's name for the character in the movie.

* * *

Yes, I know, I'm late in posting, by a couple days. Sorry! To make it all better I'm posting two today.


	12. Chapter 12 Wrath

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Wrath  
**Plot Generator – Idea Completion**: "I'm thankful for…"

* * *

"I'll do it," Bella said, her voice breaking the silence that had fallen when Mr. Slovak had insisted on either her or Tabitha dying.

"Bella, no!" I shouted, grabbing for her. The click of a gun froze me in place and I watched in shock as she stood and took the gun from his hands.

"You've made me so happy, my dear," Mr. Slovak crooned. "Such a lovely addition to our empire." Misters Romanski and Stregoni were rolling their eyes, the former obviously impatient, the latter bored.

Bella very slowly walked over to where Tabitha had been pressed against the wall. Demetri backed up, giving her room to shoot, lowering his weapon as a smile grew on his face. "Show me what you got, little girl," he said mockingly, "and maybe I'll show you what I got later."

The leer on his face fell when Bella raised the gun, her hand unwavering, pointing it directly at his head. "Don't talk to me," she said, her voice cold and hard.

Mr. Slovak almost giggled in delight, clapping his hands in glee. "Oh, she's a natural," he gushed. What he didn't see was her look of loathing.

"Bella, do what you have to," Tabitha said. She looked confident and brave, facing death as if it held no fear.

"I don't know if I can," Bella whispered back.

"Of course you can," Mr. Romanski yelled, his impatience turning to wrath as Bella fidgeted in front of Tabitha. "I'm tired of playing this game. You have two minutes to shoot or your boyfriend is dead."

Bella didn't turn around to look at him, but I could see the fear in her face and how her hands began to tremble.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Tabitha, raising the shaking gun slowly.

"Do it," the agent whispered back.

Pointing the gun straight into her face Bella nodded, then spun on the spot. A shot took Demetri between the eyes and as he fell Tabitha jumped, knocking Bella to the ground as a bullet hit the wall behind them.

"Edward! Duck!" Tabitha yelled, but I sat mesmerized as Bella jumped up again, firing a second shot that hit Mr. Romanski in his shoulder, forcing him to drop the gun in his hands. Mr. Slovak was running from the room when a third shot hit him in the leg, dropping him. That's when I felt the cold steel of a gun pressed against my temple.

"Miss Swan," Mr. Stregoni shouted from behind me. "Drop it or he dies now." Bella just stood there, panting heavily as she stood with the gun pointed at the man behind me. "I'm not kidding," he shouted again.

Ever so slowly she began to lower the gun, her eyes never wavering from his. I could feel his fear. His entire body was shaking and the gun quivered on my head. When her gun was finally to the floor he yelled, "Now kick it away," but she didn't. Instead she dropped to the floor.

From behind her Tabitha rose up, her hands free and Demetri's gun in one of them. I immediately twisted and ducked, a searing pain burning across my forehead and a flash of light blinding me. Bella screamed as Mr. Stregoni dropped me and another bullet ripped into my side. My ears were ringing from the report of the gun, barely hearing sound of her anguished cry. I had to find her.

Looking up, some warm, sticky liquid mixing with my tears of grief and fear, but she was there. "Edward," she cried, "please don't die, please don't leave me. Edward, oh Edward." I could tell she was saying something else, but the sound was lost in her sobs. I felt a hand press against my forehead and another on my side, my eyes no longer cooperating and remaining open to see the one person I needed to be sure was unhurt. I could make out Tabitha shouting at someone, sirens screaming in the distance, but only focused on the sounds of grief coming from Bella, until even that went silent.

A steady electronic beat woke me, breaking through the drugs that left me wondering if I were truly awake. Voices could be heard, and as my consciousness increased it was possible to make out what they were saying. It was my father's voice, full of exhaustion and pain. "There'll be minimal scarring, that's something I'm thankful for," he said to someone.

"So am I," Bella replied. I took a deep shuddering breath, letting out my anxiety in knowing she was all right, and then winced as pain shot through my side. "Edward?" she called, followed by her footsteps rushing to my side. Heavy footsteps followed hers; these I recognized as my father's. "Can you open your eyes?" she asked.

I nodded, but then had to find them. There seemed to be something taped on the top of my face, scrunching my forehead made me wince again. Her fingers were there, softly rubbing the side of my face. "You were shot, twice," she whispered. "One got your forehead, the other your side." A sob broke from her. "I was so afraid for you."

That made my eyes open. There before me was the only girl I had ever cared for, loved, crying over me. I lifted my hand to try to touch her face, but it pulled on some tubing. "Don't lift your hands, Edward," my dad said, "we've got you really plugged in."

"Bella, don't cry," I said, amazed at how hoarse my voice was, and how much it hurt to talk. It felt as if someone had taken sandpaper to my throat. Still, I smiled, because Bella was smiling at me. "You okay?" I asked, getting a nod. "Tabitha?" That elicited a laugh.

"She's threatening to kidnap me into the FBI shooting range to train recruits," she giggled through her tears. "I told her my dad was a cop who insisted I learn how to handle and shoot a gun." Her smile changed from amusement to a happy memory. "He thought it was important in case the mace he also insisted I pack around didn't work."

"What happened?" I said, smiling at my dad when he handed me a cup of ice chips.

"Demetri's dead. I got him through the eyes," she told me, shuddering.

My dad took over. "Aro won't walk again, and Caius will have to learn to write with his left hand. Marcus is dead, Tabitha shot him." He let out a breath and scrubbed his hands through his hair in a way that reminded me of me. "You're going to have a scar on your forehead. Dr. Gerandy did a really good job of stitching you up, so it should be small once it fades. You've lost your spleen, so we'll have to be careful whenever you get sick. Other than that, the rest of your internal organs only suffered minor damage, so once you heal from surgery you should be fine."

Bella had placed some ice in my mouth while he was talking, and it was helping to take some of the pain away. "What will happen now?"

"I have to be tried for murder," Bella whispered, tears returning to her eyes.

* * *

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the states!


	13. Chapter 13 Taste

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Taste

* * *

It was Thanksgiving. The time had come to express our gratitude for everything in our lives. Or, as Emmett put it, show our appreciation for our bounteous blessings by consuming as many calories as possible in one sitting. I was just glad I wasn't hosting this year because that meant I could relax and sleep in.

Edward was snoring softly beside me. Rolled onto his side, one hand reaching out and holding mine, I felt a surge of gratitude for him. Even if we never had children, at least I had him.

As I shifted his grip on my hand tightened, holding me in place in his sleep. Unfortunately what woke me was letting me know that I needed to visit the bathroom, so I gently extricated my fingers from his and got up.

My assignment had been to bring the sweet potatoes and a pie. I had always hated the casserole my mother had made every year, filled with maraschino cherries and topped with marshmallows. Emmett had teased me that he doubted I could make them ever taste good. "Sweet potatoes are served because of tradition, not because anyone actually likes them." I was out to prove him wrong.

I had baked them the day before, leaving them overnight to cool. My search of the internet had yielded some exciting possibilities of a new way to prepare them and I looked forward to seeing how they turned out. What I didn't look forward to was the massive amount of time I would need to spend working out after eating them.

Once I reached the kitchen I set to work, peeling and mashing before adding the spices. Next came the fattening part. Cream, butter, and sugar were called for in liberal amounts. These were a heart attack waiting to happen! As I spooned them into the casserole dish I stole a taste, checking to see if I liked them, and smiled. I was going to be proving Emmett so very wrong!

Next I mixed up a praline topping, stealing a few pecans before adding them to the sugar and butter mixture. Then, after spreading them on, I tried them again, moaning in appreciation.

"And here I thought only I could bring out that sound from you," Edward chuckled behind me, making me jump.

"Edward! Don't startle me like that!" I laughed, grabbing a sugar coated pecan to feed to him. "Open up, you're going to like this."

"That's what he said," he said with a laugh, accepting the pecan. "Oh, that is good." Wrapping his arms around me he held me close for a few minutes, resting his head on mine as I burrowed into the hollow of his shoulder. "What pie are you going to make?" he asked, breaking me from the serenity of the moment.

"Buttermilk. I talked with the other girls and they have the traditional ones covered, so I went looking for something different," I said, still holding on to him.

"Mmm, sounds good. I guess I should leave you to it?"

"Or help," I teased, poking him in the side.

"How about I do the dishes?" Now that was an offer I couldn't refuse!

A few hours later, after he had made sure that not only the dishes, but also my body was clean, we arrived at Emmett and Rosalie's house. The kids were running around, excited by the amazing smells coming from the kitchen. The baby was cooing softly in her basinet, being rocked by Carlisle's foot as he, Emmett and Jasper discussed the possible outcomes of the football games that would be happening later that day.

Leaving Edward with them I made my way to the kitchen. Esme noticed me first, looking up with a smile. "So, did you find something to make Emmett drool like you threatened?" she asked, leaning over to sniff at the foil covered casserole dish I held.

"I sure did," I said, pulling up a corner of the foil and showing them the decadence hidden beneath.

"Oh, wow," Alice sighed, "that looks fattening and delicious."

"Gee, thanks Bella," Rose teasingly grumbled. "I think you don't want me to lose my baby fat."

"Please, like you don't already look amazing," Emmett said from behind me, walking past to put his arms around his wife. "I don't care if you put on weight, there's just more of you to love this way."

I felt a pair of lips brush my temple. "I brought in the pies," Edward said, continuing on to place them on the counter. "Dad said we had to come in and help."

"He's helping by rocking the baby," Jasper laughed, giving me a side arm hug. "That smells good. Are you going to win your bet with Emmett?"

"You'll have to tell me. You're all the judges."

The casserole was placed amongst the plethora of other foodstuffs on the table. Jasper was carving the turkey in the kitchen, and there was a spot open for it. Arrayed like a buffet around it was a pile of mashed potatoes, butter melting in a pool on top, green bean casserole with the obligatory fried onions, an empty gravy boat that I knew Esme would be filling after pressing Edward into making it, rolls, salad, pickled beets, and broccoli casserole. It was a cardiologist's nightmare. Emmett was humming in excitement.

After settling at the table and giving thanks, Emmett spooned a very small portion of my sweet potatoes onto his plate. Everyone paused as he sniffed at it, raising the plate up to his nose. "Smells okay, kindof like pie," he muttered. Setting the plate back down he poked it with his fork. "Looks creamy and I do like pecans."

"Just eat some," Edward grumbled, wanting the food to be passed.

Emmett stuck his tongue out at his brother and put a small bite on his fork. He sat and stared at it for a minute, until the combined urging of his family pushed him to actually putting it into his mouth.

He chewed, screwing up his face a little as he seemed to swish it around his mouth like you would do with wine. Remaining solemn he placed his fork down on his plate and looked at Rosalie. "Would you please pass back the sweet potatoes?" he asked, causing catcalls and taunts to go up around the table. "What? They're good, so I still don't lose!" he laughed.

I just half-glared, half-grinned at him. "Well?" I asked.

"Fine, no more teasing about the se—"

"EMMETT!" Rosalie shouted, casting furtive looks at the children.

"Fine! No more teasing about your cruise."

"Now that's something I'm grateful for!" I laughed.

* * *

My assignment was the sweet potatoes and a pie, and I brought buttermilk. My baboo teased the nieces and nephews, telling they weren't allowed to eat the potatoes because they tasted like candy. They really are rich.


	14. Chapter 14 Fortune

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Alternate MS/Twilight  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Fortune

* * *

Walking down the hall in school, holding Bella's hand, I couldn't believe my good fortune. Apparently, no one else could believe it either. The girls were shocked to see I was dating anyone and wondering, jealously, what I could possibly see in her. The guys were more diverse. Some were jealous that I was holding Bella's hand, others were angry, thinking I had taken the most beautiful girl in the school. I had to admit they were right on the last point.

Every now and then Bella would glance up at me, smiling and blushing. Sometimes I prompted these looks by lifting her hand to my lips, placing a soft kiss there. She always smiled the broadest when I did that.

Sadly we only had the one class together, so after dropping her off to her Spanish class I waited. Jessica's thoughts were full of questions on how Bella, whom she considered to be less than average looking, had managed the snare the most gorgeous guy in school. If only she knew the price I had to pay for these looks she wouldn't feel they were quite so beautiful.

"I'll be here after class to walk you to lunch," I whispered to Bella, having turned her back to the wall. Jessica was having a fit, shock and curiosity mixing as she watched us say good-bye. Wanting to make sure she had no doubts where my feelings lay I leaned in to Bella. "Stay very still," I whispered before brushing my lips lightly over hers.

_No way!_ Jessica screamed in her thoughts, but I was more concerned for Bella's reaction. Her hands were secure in mine, making sure she couldn't attack me in the hallway the way she'd done on previous occasions. Thankfully she held herself rigid, although I could feel her muscles twitch.

Chuckling at the reaction of both girls I pulled back. "Jessica would like to speak to you," I whispered into Bella's ear, surprised when I heard a groan of annoyance.

"What does she want to know?"

"Nope, not telling. That would be cheating," I laughed, pulling away.

"No, knowing and not warning me, that's cheating," she huffed, wrapping her fist in my shirt to pull me forward. I quickly categorized this fact about her, she liked fairness.

"She wants to know how you snagged me," I teased. "Apparently I'm quite a catch."

She leaned her head to the side. "Should I tell her it was my perfume?" she teased, her eyes dancing merrily at her joke.

"Not funny," I growled, leaning in again to trail my lips over her forehead. "Why don't you tell her it happened in the hospital? That's what she's considering anyway."

And she was. She hadn't noticed my preoccupation with the girl in front of me the previous week. Odd, since my entire family had picked up on it within hours. Of course, Alice probably had a lot to do with that.

"Anything in particular I shouldn't mention?" she asked. Her nervousness was showing now.

"That I want to drink your blood would be bad," I laughed back. There was little time left for me to rush across the school and reach my own class, so I needed to leave her. "She wants to know how serious we are, you can tell her that my entire life now revolves around you if you like."

Her eyes warmed and seemed a little misty, so with a final touch of my lips to the top of her head I said my goodbye. Part of my mind was trained on Jessica, the other one finding a path through the school that would leave me the most invisible. Luckily the halls had mostly cleared and I was able to go at my normal pace, unseen and undetected to my class. Bella wasn't as lucky as Jessica's eyes were trained on her the entire time.

Settling into my seat at the back of the class I watched Bella approach her seat next to Jessica. I assumed Jessica was bouncing, judging by how the view went steadily up and down. "Morning Jessica," Bella said quietly as she started to pull her books from her bag, ignoring the obvious excitement coursing through her classmate.

_Oh don't be coy with me,_ Jessica thought. _Everyone saw him kiss you._ "So you and Edward Cullen, huh?" she finally asked, getting a blush and a nod in return. Jessica's eyes rolled, making me glad I couldn't get dizzy. "When did that happen?"

"Um, Tuesday? At the hospital?" Bella answered, now digging for a pen as she avoided looking directly at Jessica.

_I knew it!_ "So what happened? Did he save your life or something?"

"Or something," Bella answered, giving a small smile. Was she thinking about how worried I'd been? Apparently Jessica was curious as well.

"What does 'or something' mean? He doesn't even seem to have been hurt." Jessica glanced down at Bella's leg, noticing the bulge where her bandage was under her jeans. "We couldn't believe you weren't hurt worse."

"He was bruised," Bella lied, blushing furiously. I'd have to remember that, Bella didn't lie well. "But managed to pull me out of the way from being seriously hurt."

This distracted Jessica some. As interesting as our love life was, Bella's injury was more so. Humans are always attracted to the macabre for some reason. "How bad is it?"

Bella pulled up her pant leg, revealing the bandage. "I've got about twenty stitches where a piece of metal cut me."

Jessica felt sick at that. "Ugh, how did you stand it? All the blood!" Bella seemed to laugh inwardly, making Jessica curious. "What?"

"Edward had a little trouble with the blood," she admitted, blushing scarlet and casting her first look directly at Jessica. Did she know I was listening in so intently?

"Do you like him?" Jessica asked, getting to the dirt finally. Her mind was curious how Bella had managed to snag me again.

Bella swallowed. "Yes."

"A lot?" Jessica pushed.

"Yes."

Now Jessica was getting frustrated, wanting more details. "How much is a lot?"

Bella picked up her pen, Mrs. Goff was calling the class to order. Still, Bella looked directly at Jessica, and I knew she knew I was listening. "Enough to want him forever."

* * *

Apparently falling for a vampire makes you hasty, and sure of your feelings. I've often wondered if vampires imprinted some too, they just don't call it that. Once they've found their mate they seem to fall pretty quickly, even if their intended is human still. Thoughts?


	15. Chapter 15 Wait

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Parkward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Wait  
**Plot Generator – Phrase Catch**: "All aboard!"

* * *

I had giggled and gasped at Edward's account. "Why do you purchase things at Victoria's Secret?" I had teased, pausing over that line of the statement.

He fixed me with a bland look. "You've seen Alice steal my card. My guess is she wanted to buy something to surprise Jasper. I'm sure she probably put the money into my account later." I was actually surprised to find a deposit exactly matching the amount, making him laugh. "You might want to know all our accounts are tied together. I trust my family completely, but if this makes you uncomfortable then we can break ours off." I stewed for a second over this, because it did make me uncomfortable. "Don't feel bad if you do," he added. "Rose and Emmett are separate. We all understood." Then he laughed, "That and we didn't want to see their strange purchases on our statements."

"I guess I can see how it has its advantages," I hemmed, not wanting to cause a problem for him, but also not wanting all our finances to be on display either.

He reached for my hand, "I said it would be fine. If you want to compromise we can just leave my mom on it. She does the bookkeeping for the practice, so it would make sense."

That was something I could agree to, but then frowned. "Doesn't the accounts for your personal finances and the clinic's have to be separate?"

"Yes, they are, but mom is on both. She has a degree in accounting, so I just let her be in charge," he explained, and it made sense.

My gasp came later, when going over the clinic's accounts. "One million dollars? What's that for?" I all but shrieked when I saw the entry.

Edward just shrugged. "Probably the yearly malpractice insurance premium. It sounds about right." I just gaped at him. "If you think that's bad, wait until you see how much my college loan repayments are. Thank goodness the pharmaceutical companies give out free samples or we'd never have anything to give to our indigent patients."

"Speaking of which," he crooned, pulling me close. We had migrated to the floor and had been lying with the statements in between us. Now he rolled us so that our bodies were aligned. "I could use some sampling myself." His lips pressed onto mine slowly as his arm pulled me even tighter against his body.

Rolling slightly he pulled me on top of him, my legs naturally falling to the sides so I was straddling him. With his hands in my hair mine were free to roam down his chest, undoing the top buttons so I could feel the roughness of the hair there.

With a rock of his hips I slid down, our bodies aligning for a wholly different purpose. He was rock hard beneath me as his hands, now free from my hair, traveled down my shoulders to my sides, barely brushing the sides of my breasts as they moved to grasp my waist. "This is a bad idea," he whispered, moving his hips again, leaving little doubt what he was referring to.

I leaned down and placed a kiss on the skin the open buttons revealed. "I'm not complaining."

Then it was his turn to gasp. In an instant I was on my back, Edward nestled between my legs and pushing up just enough to get some friction. "I want to climb inside of you," he whispered hoarsely, "but – "

"All aboard!" Emmett's loud voice called from the open doorway. "You better roll apart before mom catches you!"

"EMMETT!" his mom screamed. "They're busy in there, you leave them alone." Her footsteps soon followed, drawing nearer.

"Oh, they're busy all right," he chuckled as Edward jumped off of me, standing up and facing his brother, looking like he was ready to start swinging punches.

Thankfully Esme was there in time, stepping between them. "Emmett, you're supposed to be on dishes today, so get to it!" she fussed, pointing to the kitchen. When he was finally gone, only his laughter trailing behind him, she turned to apologize.

"I'm sorry about that Bella. The boy has no barriers, even a closed door."

"It's all right, Esme, we needed a break," I said, trying not to look as flustered as I felt.

"Hmm, I'm sure you do," she said with a smile, stepping from the room and pulling the door closed. Just before it clicked, though, she pushed it open. "Oh, and no copulating in your father's den, Edward. That's for your father and me."

I giggled as Edward gaped, shaking his head at the now closed door. "When I was a teenager I always wondered what on earth they needed to lock the door for when they were having a talk. I guess now I know." He looked around the room and shuddered. "Let's go to your place."

"Are you sure that's wise?" I asked, indicating the now askew papers on the floor. "Maybe the threat of an audience will keep us in check."

He walked over to me and pulled me close. "Yeah, you're probably right. But, I think we've pretty much figured out our finances, don't you?"

"Yep," I replied, kissing him lightly, "we're broke."

"For now," he agreed with another light kiss. "We'll have to come up with alternate forms of entertainment. I don't think we can even afford to pay for cable television."

"Hmm," I hummed in agreement, placing my lips on his once more. "Whatever will we do?"

"Can't think of a thing," he said against my lips, his tongue tracing over them slightly.

"Guess we'll just have to sit and make out until something comes up," I quipped.

He pressed his hips against mine. "Oh, something's come up all right," he teased back. I would have said something else, but my tongue and lips had found something better to do than speak.

* * *

I know it's odd, but my mother-in-law is on our accounts, and through her we're tied to my sister-in-law's account. All of our children have their accounts tied to ours as well. It's been incredibly convenient. We're all very respectful of privacy and only use it to transfer money around (like when we all went on a cruise together, they just put their part into baboo's checking and he made the payment for everyone). Course, I would never allow it if I didn't trust them implicitly.


	16. Chapter 16 Luggage

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Hitchhiker  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Luggage

* * *

When I woke early the next morning I was cold, shivering so hard my teeth seemed to rattle. The bed moved, making me aware that I wasn't alone, the cold compress on my leg removing itself. Just as my eyes opened a quilt was being draped over me. "Sorry," Edward whispered, "I didn't realize you would get so chilled. Your leg might be infected, but I didn't want to wake you so was cooling it with my hand. I'll call in an antibiotic for you when the pharmacy opens."

I nodded, barely hearing him as my eyes drifted shut again. His warm chuckle reached me from behind as he curled back around me, leaving the blanket as a barrier. Now that I was warm again I wanted sleep. His arm wrapped around my waist, cupping my breast and pulling me closer against him. "Sleep, my Bella," was the last thing I heard.

The next time I woke the sun was streaming in the window and I was alone. "Bells?" my dad called through the door. "You planning on sleeping all day?"

"I'm awake," I called back, sitting up to drive away the cobwebs as my dad opened the door a crack.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," I yawned, stretching and wincing when the stitches on my leg pulled. He sat on the edge of my bed, looking a bit uncomfortable. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, other than feeling like I'm gonna lose you," he said. "I can see how taken Edward is with you; it's only a matter of time before you're married and maybe off to where he can earn more money."

Knowing the Volturi were coming, and that I would have to be changed soon, I knew he was right. For all the my dad was quiet, he really didn't miss much. "We'll stay if we can," I said, a feeling of loss settling into my heart for the first time. I wanted Edward, he sent my pulse racing just thinking of him, but normally marriage didn't mean losing your parents.

"I know," he said, patting my good leg then stopping suddenly with a look of concern.

"It's the other one that's hurt, dad," I chuckled, warmed by his worry.

"That's good." He let out a deep sigh. "Should I be planning a wedding?"

"Already moving me out?" I teased, knowing he meant nothing of the kind.

"Hmpf, have to buy you some luggage to do that. All you came with was a duffel bag," he joked back before once again turning solemn. "I don't want to sound like an overprotective father, but there's something different about him."

My breath froze in my throat. "Good different or bad different?" I wheezed out.

"Not sure." He shot his eyes up to mine, looking almost fearful. "Now, don't be angry, but I ran a background check on him. The whole family, in fact."

"And?" Breathing was still a problem.

"Annnnd, it's clean, almost too clean. Like before ten years ago they didn't even exist. Not sure what to make of it." He shifted on the bed while I sat frozen. How old was Edward? He appeared to be about twenty-five, and that was about the right age for someone just finishing medical school, but weren't vampires immortal?

"All I'm asking is for you to be careful, honey," Charlie finished, rising from the bed just as a knock sounded on the door below. Charlie started to chuckle. "Bet I know who that is. He told me last night that he didn't work this morning."

Wanting a moment to think I thought of a way to postpone the next conversation with Edward. "Dad, I really need to shower. Would you keep him company?"

"Actually, I'm due in at the station. I'll bet he'll wait for you." I wondered how true that was, considering how he ripped open my shirt last night, but decided to risk it.

Hobbling into the bathroom I heard my dad greet Edward amiably, followed shortly after by Edward calling up to me. "Go ahead and remove the dressing and wash it carefully. I'll redress it when you're done."

"All right," I called down, wondering if I really was going to get some space to think.

Five minutes later, my hair full of shampoo, I heard the bathroom door open. "Do you mind if I talk with you?" Edward asked. "I'll behave as much as you want me to," he chuckled.

"I suppose you can talk to me, but I'm really not ready for company in the shower," I replied.

"Can I check your leg?" he asked smoothly, making me laugh.

"Once I'm done and wrapped in a towel, yes," I shot back.

He grunted his disappointment, but this was soon followed by the sound of the toilet lid being lowered. "I'm one hundred and nine years old, Bella," he said, then went quiet.

I stood there for a moment, then leaned my head back, rinsing the shampoo from my hair. When it was thoroughly rinsed I reached for the conditioner, still saying nothing as I processed this. "Bella?" he called, "Please tell me what you're thinking."

"That you don't look any older than twenty-five," I answered. "Why is that?"

"Because I was twenty-five when I was changed," he said. "We're frozen at that age. Carlisle was twenty-eight, Esme was thirty-one, Alice twenty-two, Jasper twenty-three, Emmett twenty-three, and Rosalie nineteen."

"So, I'll be twenty-four forever?" I asked, thinking that didn't sound too bad. "Wait, frozen exactly? Like, if I wanted to lose five pounds I'd need to do that before I was changed?"

"Is that your biggest worry?" he asked, the sound of the shower curtain moving to the side made me jump. "Because you look perfect to me."

"Edward!" I screamed, grabbing for the curtain, which he relinquished with a chuckle.

Peeking around the curtain I found him seated once more. "Stay there!"

He chuckled, "I will. But your dad is right, we recreated ourselves about ten years ago, that's why he can't find anything. We'll have to work on that. I guess we can take care of it when we recreate your past."

* * *

Sorry I've been out of commission. After fighting a cold for a couple weeks I gave in and went to the doctor who told me I had bronchitis and a sinus infection. Oh, joy. At least I have codeine for my cough now and an antibiotic!

Anyway, writing still happened while at work, I just came home and slept. I'll be posting another chapter in a few minutes. xoxo!


	17. Chapter 17 East

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: East

* * *

I awoke to the sun shining in my eyes, which was odd since the sun rose in the east and my bedroom faced west. Blinking I became aware of something else, Edward was sleeping underneath me, on my couch, warm and comfortable. A quick turn of my head showed that the television was still on, showing the menu screen for the movie, Highlander theme music playing softly.

My movement most have woken Edward because his fingers started to idly run along my spine. "Morning," he said in a rough voice, sounding quite sexy.

"Hey," I replied, starting to stretch. Unfortunately I didn't consider my position, and in a moment he was grabbing for me as I started to roll from the couch. With a squeak I jumped as well, ending up on top of Edward and causing him to let out a gasp of air when I knocked the wind out of him.

He started chuckling when he could breathe again, his hands on my hips, stilling me enough to notice that I was rubbing against something bumpy, and it was too hard to be a pillow. "I know last night you said I could have sex with you anytime, but we might want to go to the bedroom. Unless you're fantasizing about the couch? Because that would be totally fine with me."

With my face flaming I dropped my head to his chest. "Oh, crap, I thought I dreamed that."

Shifting me around so he was more comfortable he replied, "Yeah, it might have been a dream, since you tend to talk in your sleep. I know it's something I've dreamed about." His arms tightened around me as he said the last, smiling.

I snorted a laugh. "Of course you have."

"What do you call a male nymphomaniac?" he asked with a shrug. When I shook my head, he shook his in reply. "Normal." Snorting another laugh I lay back down on his chest, humming in approval when he hugged me.

We lay in silence for a few minutes, the sound of his heart beating lulling me. Just as my eyes were dropping closed he asked, "When?"

"When what?" I mumbled.

His fingers slipped under the hem of my t-shirt, only to turn and trace under the waistband of my sweats. "When sex?"

That woke me up. Jumping from the couch with a huff I was halfway across the room before turning on him. He was sitting up, hands reaching out, looking confused. "Really, Edward? We've been on two whole dates and you're asking me when we're going to have sex?"

His eyes rolled so high into his head I thought they might get stuck there. "Really, Bella?" he replied in the same tone, mocking me. "It's a simple question, and technically we haven't been on two whole dates, since you fell asleep about fifteen minutes into it last night. What is true, however, is that we've now slept together multiple times." Leaning back he put his hands behind his head, "I'm just wondering when we're going to do something besides sleep? It's not like you aren't interested, so stop being so upset."

"I don't sleep with guys I'm not in love with, Edward," I told him, hands on hips and looking defiant. It didn't have the intended reaction.

Rising up from the couch with a big smile he began walking toward me. Immediately my feet began backing me into the kitchen, causing a challenging look to come into his eyes. "Edward," I challenged, but he only sped up, effectively chasing me into the kitchen until I turned and raced for my bedroom. He caught me right when we got to the door, swinging me off my feet and continuing forward to deposit me on the bed. By now I was laughing, because there really is something nice about being chased.

My giggles were silenced by his lips on my neck. "But you have slept with me, Bella, so I'm assuming you love me?"

I didn't know what to say, mostly because I didn't know how I felt. When he realized my silence he stopped his attack. Lifting his body off of mine, his eyes wide and a small grin forming, he whispered, "You do?"

"I don't know," I whispered back. "I don't know what I feel. You annoy me, excite me, exasperate me, and when you're gone I find myself looking at the clock to see how long it will be until you're back." My hands slapped over my mouth, hoping to stop it since my brain seemed to no longer think filtering was necessary.

His eyes became impossibly brighter and his grin spread over his entire face. "I'm falling for you too."

"But I'm not having sex with you!" I declared, poking a finger into his chest.

"Ouch, fine, no sex…yet." With a wink he rolled off of me and reached out his hand. "How about breakfast? I don't have to be in until this afternoon, so we can go have fun until then." As I took his hand he pulled me up from the bed and hard against his chest. "But this will be our third date," he started, but his next word was 'ow' when I stomped on his foot.

The waitress who had gotten everything together for Alice and me greeted us at the door. "Good morning, Dr. Cullen," she said with a wink. I laughed since she was probably old enough to be his grandmother. "Don't you look like the cat who got the canary?"

He winked rakishly at her as he pulled me forward. "Yep, and this here is the canary, Bella."

"We meet again," she said holding out her hand. "So I guess this means I'll be seeing more of you?"

"Probably, um, Diane," I replied, reading her name from her tag. "Only, tom here hasn't gotten me yet."

Leading us to a table she laughed. After handing us our menu's she leaned over and stage-whispered in my ear, looking to be sure Edward heard, "Keep that cage shut tight, little bird. A meal caught too easily isn't as appreciated as one you have to work for."

"No problem," I giggled, mostly at Edward's look of outrage. When she left with a wink I looked at my menu, trying to ignore the man across from me who was staring with a raised brow. Finally I broke. "I like her."

"You would," he quipped. Reaching over he pulled down my menu. "What you need to remember is that I've been waiting for months, since you punched me in the nose."

* * *

Hmm, just in case you don't get the 'tom' reference, it's what my mother always called a guy who slept around, referring to a tom cat. Sometimes the deep south in me comes out in strange ways.


	18. Chapter 18 Ice

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Ice

* * *

Shifting in the bed and biting back a grimace at the pain it caused, I took Bella's hand in mine. "Shh, Bella, you aren't being tried for murder."

"There's an investigation, and I've admitted to killing Demetri," she sobbed, seemingly not noticing my dad's hand on her shoulder. "I've killed a man."

My eyes met my father's for a second before he nodded and left the room. She had acted in self-defense, protecting my life and that of a federal officer. There was no district attorney who wouldn't clear her, and even if one did have it go to trial, there wasn't a jury on this planet that would convict her of anything but self-defense. That didn't mean that she wouldn't be tormented over having killed someone. My anger at my former employers grew. Even dead or locked up, they were causing her grief and pain.

"Bella," I whispered, pulling on her, hoping she would accept comfort from me. "Without you we would all be dead."

"I know," she whimpered.

"It's natural to feel horrible. It'd actually be natural to not feel horrible," I amended with a shrug. "Demetri was going to kill Tabitha or me, after all."

She looked up, her eyes luminous with the tears she'd been shedding mixed with the look of hope she now had. "I keep thinking how I should feel like a murderer, evil, but all I feel is cold, like there's ice in my veins," she said softly, not realizing that the door behind her had opened. My brother-in-law, Jasper, was walking in followed by my dad. I shifted, meaning to say something, but they both shook their heads and held a finger to their lips to quiet me.

Bella kept talking. "I want to be angry, I want to be sick, and sometimes I do, but mostly I'm _happy _I killed him. What does that say about me?"

Looking beyond her I could see that they were encouraging me to speak again. "It means you're happy to be alive, and that you're happy I'm alive. You're happy the bad guy lost." She began to shake her head, her shoulders shuddering with the sobs that now seemed to come more freely.

"I've lost, Edward, don't you see? I've lost my parents and my life. So many years, simply because Phil didn't want to sign onto some shady insurance deal." My brow furrowed, but she wasn't noticing. She only kept speaking. "I'm so proud of him for doing the right thing, even though it cost him his life and my mom's. I'm proud of my dad for doing the right thing, even though it cost him his life. And I'm so ashamed, because for just a moment, I thought about shooting Tabitha, wanting it all to end and to be safe."

"But you didn't," I said, "and I'm so proud of you." Jasper and my dad backed out of the room again, having seen me wave them off. If she wanted to speak to Jasper, she would, but it needed to be her choice. The look on her face when I told her I was proud of her was a mixture of incredulity and happiness.

With another wince I moved to see her more clearly. "Bella, you haven't lost, you've won. Don't you see? You've got me, if you'll have me. You've beat the people who killed your parents. You've won." In an instant she was out of the chair, carefully climbing beside me in the bed.

After just holding each other for a moment, my hand stroking her back as much as the IV lines would allow, I cleared my throat. "I think you might need therapy, Bella. It would be a good idea in light of everything you've been through."

"I don't have any insurance," she muttered against my chest, snuggling in deeper even while being careful of my injuries.

"Well, then marry me. I'll put you on my policy."

She started to giggle, and while the sound was music to my ears, I had no idea what she found so amusing. "Bella?" I asked, wondering.

She actually snorted a little. "I may not be an expert, but I think with one boss dead, the other two hospitalized with the expectation of going to jail, and one of their employees shot by your housekeeper, you might not have a job anymore." I started to laugh as well, holding a hand to my side, hurting with each chuckle.

"Well, lucky for you my brother-in-law is a psychiatrist," I told her, trying to still my laughter. "I'm sure he'd be happy to talk to you pro bono."

She gave a nod against my chest. "That's probably a good idea." She was quiet for another minute before adding, "Will you go with me or would that be too weird?"

"It would be fine," I said, tugging on her lightly. Thankfully, she read my desire quickly. Scooting up the bed she gently placed her lips on mine, both of us groaning at the long missed contact. In seconds the heart monitor I was hooked to was recording the increased beating of my heart, making her chuckle again. "I guess we might want to do this when it isn't being recorded," I said against her lips.

A knock on the door pulled us both out of it. I was still chuckling a little, but Bella's long ingrained fear showed in how she jumped at the sound, cowering into my side. Looking up I saw a tall man, still in his coat from the winter chill and holding up a police badge. "My name is agent Felix Johnson, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

* * *

Still on codeine to quiet my cough, so, as my baboo puts it, I'm so loopy they can have me stand in for the O's. He talked me into getting the new Droid 2 phone tonight. I need to remember to not talk to him when I'm sick, that's how we ended up with two St. Bernards, thousands of dollars of stereo equipment, the list goes on. Before I know it we'll have a new 3D TV. "Sure, honey, that sounds good." *snore*


	19. Chapter 19 Smear

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Smear  
**Dialogue Flex**: "I can't see," he said.

* * *

The time for our cruise had finally arrived. There was only one problem, we had to fly to Hawaii. At first I thought Edward might try to fly our plane, but he assured me there were no refueling stops in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, so we'd have to fly commercial just like everyone else.

Right, like Edward ever did anything just like everyone else.

We had been directed into our first class seats by an obsequious stewardess who was obviously quite taken with my husband. Being the gentleman he was he thanked her graciously for being so kind. To be honest, I felt like writing her a thank-you note. She'd made him so uncomfortable with her attentions that he was being very snuggly with me, kissing me whenever he had the chance. A very evil part of me wanted to head to the restroom just so I could spy on how he tried to turn her down gently, but when I made my move he pinned me to the seat and hissed, "Don't leave me alone with her!"

He actually glared at me when I giggled. That look turned to a leer when he asked if I thought I needed any help in the bathroom. "We've already joined the mile-high club in your plane, Dr. Cullen," I teased him, one hand patting his cheek as the other slid up his thigh. "I don't think commercial airline bathrooms would be very comfortable."

"This is a sex cruise, if you remember," he said, grasping the hand on his leg as he shifted uncomfortably.

"We're not on the water yet."

"We are over it, I'm sure," he retorted.

Turning I lifted the window shade just enough to peek out. Sure enough, he was right. "I can't see," he said, trying to lift the shade higher. I merely sat back and let him lean across me. His new position allowed the hand on his thigh better access after all.

He turned abruptly in his seat, pinning me into mine with a look of lust in his eyes. "You aren't playing fair, Bella," he growled as my finger trailed over the rising hardness in his pants. "You say you won't let me into the bathroom with you, but you do that?" He glanced down, watching my hand as his breathing deepened.

"But you see," I continued to tease, "I've got the advantage here. With you turned like this, I can have fun, but you can't do anything without getting caught."

I should have kept my mouth shut. "Oh, really?" he asked, raising one eyebrow as the glint of a challenge entered his eyes. Before I knew it he had let go of the hand that had been torturing him and was trailing his fingers up my thigh, under my skirt. Now it was my turn to grab his hand.

"Edward!" I hissed, looking around, then back at him as he chuckled, his fingers inching upward.

"Don't struggle too much, or everyone will know what we're doing," he whispered into my ear. My breathing was matching his now as his long fingers continued to rise. "You see, I can block what I'm doing with my body, but everyone can see your reaction. Mine was hidden, but you have to stay very still."

I could feel him lighting ghosting over my panties as he breathed, "Spread your legs."

Closing my eyes I let my head drop down onto his shoulder. He pushed my panties aside, stroking me softly, lightly, agonizingly slow. My hand was now gripped around his erection, my thumb moving up and down in time with his fingers inside of me.

"Sir? Is your wife feeling all right?" I heard a feminine voice ask. My eyes sprang open; it was the overly helpful stewardess.

Edward sat up quickly, his hands yanked from under my skirt as he turned to glare malevolently at her. "She's just napping," he said coldly. When my eyes met hers, though, I knew that she knew that sleeping was the last thing I was doing.

"I really do need to use the restroom now," I whispered to Edward. My panties were askew and needed fixing, and he had managed to smear moisture down my leg. It was uncomfortable, and as much as I was aching for him I thought it might be best to wait until we were on the boat.

He looked back to me with a wink. "All right, honey. If you'll excuse me?" he asked to the stewardess, rising as he did so to let me out. "Do you want some help?" he asked back to me.

I just rolled my eyes at him. "Not until we get on the ship." The rest of the flight was _long_.

Finally we made it to Honolulu and was I ever grateful for our priority status. Edward had gotten us a suite on the ship, which meant a shorter line for check-in. With our room keys in hand we finally boarded, both of us excited.

The room was opulent, bigger than our bedroom back home. We had a king-sized bed, full bathroom with a tub, a couch, refrigerator, flat-screen TV, large closet and vanity, but the best part was the balcony. There was a table and four chairs on one side and two lounge chairs on the other! There would be no chair hoarding on the deck for us!

As I was looking over the city Edward came out and wrapped his arms around me from behind. It was easy to feel what was exciting him most. "Want to break in the cabin?" he asked, rubbing his pelvis against my backside as his hands traveled to my breasts.

"Mmm," I agreed, turning in his arms and lifting my lips up for a kiss. His lips burned on mine, his tongue insistent as he pushed between my lips, devouring me. It was a good thing the railing was behind me or I would have tumbled backward into the ocean.

My hands traveled down under the hem of his shirt and back up when a discreet cough interrupted us. "I'm terribly sorry Doctor and Mrs. Cullen, my name is Bas, I'm your butler," a man said, his accent foreign, "and I must instruct you on where your life-jackets are located and where your muster station is for the fire drill. I must also ask that you be available for the drill."

Taking a deep breath Edward leaned his forehead against mine. When he finally opened his eyes I could see his frustration. "Soon," I whispered to him. He just nodded and turned to greet our smiling, embarrassed, butler.

* * *

Baboo took me to Hawaii last year, and no lie, that was our cabin. And yes, we had a butler, something that amused me to no end. It turned out to be only a couple hundred dollars more than the two cabins we would have needed with the kids, since they could bring in beds for them. My kids thought it was great, especially since the butler brought them filet mignon and eggs for breakfast in bed!

Sorry about having so few postings. Tis the season to run around like a chicken with its head cut off! I made 32 loaves of banana bread on Saturday (thank goodness for 2 ovens!), and hope to get another 8 made tonight after work; then convince baboo and my sweet daughter (who cleaned the ENTIRE house while I was baking) to hand them out to the neighbors.


	20. Chapter 20 Bag

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Alternate MS/Twilight  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Bag  
**Dialogue Flex**: "I saw that first!" he said.

* * *

It was only another week before the sheep at school had grown accustomed to Bella holding hands with me in the hallway, or seeing me give her light kisses to her forehead. Sometimes they were more intimate kisses where Mike Newton could see. He would then storm off, his hopes of asking her out, despite being so obviously with me, dashed in a frustration that always made me smile.

My family took longer; more specifically, Rosalie. Her fleeting thought, wondering what I found so attractive in the, to her, plain girl when she had once been available had made me laugh one night. She hadn't spoken to me since, hiding under her cars, her thoughts making me want to hide mine. One thing she didn't understand; when you can see a person's thoughts you find those to reflect on their attractiveness far more than any surface appearance.

It was evening again, Bella was probably saying goodnight to her father, not knowing I would be joining her in a few minutes. Emmett and Jasper were playing chess, a game they wouldn't let me join as both were sure I cheated. What Emmett didn't know was that Alice was leaning over from where she was working on the computer to mouth to Jasper what his next move was. Rosalie was working on her car, humming happily as she considered what modifications she could make. Carlisle was reading and Esme was going over blueprints. This left me to while away the time until I could crawl into Bella's window and watch her sleep.

Wandering over to the piano I allowed my fingers to drift aimlessly over the keys, the thought of how pretty Bella looked asleep filling my mind. I saw Esme lift her eyes from her blueprints, the hope that I would begin playing intruding on thoughts of design. Wanting to make her happy I started to pick out a tune, soft and gentle as the girl in my thoughts.

Alice left her computer and the guys' game, much to Jasper's frustration as he was about to win, and joined me on the piano bench. Casting her mind forward she smiled as she saw Bella walking into our home, a bag in her hand as she waved her father out the door. "We're going to have a sleepover!" she cried happily, clapping.

"Were you planning on sleeping?" I asked her, chuckling, "Because I don't think that's possible."

"Nobody sleeps at sleepovers, Edward," she replied, slapping my arm lightly.

"In that case, you'll be a natural," I teased. It was impossible to not feel happy about having Bella here, but then I wondered where she would sleep, since Jasper and Alice shared a room.

Apparently Alice was following my line of thought. "You'll need a bed," she stated.

"I don't think Bella would be comfortable sleeping with me," I said, shaking my head.

"She does it all the time," Alice retorted with a huff, looking to see what activities they could participate in that would be fun for both of them. To her annoyance, and my delight, none of the usual ones she'd seen on TV had the desired effect on Bella.

"Not that she knows, and wouldn't she think it odd to be sleeping in my room?" I asked as the tune picked up a harmony, still sweet but slightly foreboding, as if something menacing were stalking the sleeping innocent but meant it no harm.

Suddenly Alice's vision shifted away from Bella to Jasper's friends, Peter and Charlotte. They were coming to visit and would be here in a couple days. Alice excitedly turned to tell Jasper, but it was her husband who picked up on my fear.

"Edward?" he asked, not knowing the source of my concern.

Esme had come down the stairs as I was playing and, true to her nature, figured it out quickly. "They would never hurt her," she said. "Perhaps we can have her over first? That way they can learn her scent and know it belongs to someone special?"

Alice's blank face was contrasting sharply with her mind as she reviewed different decisions we could make and their outcome. "No," she disagreed, amorphous images of various problems arising. "It'll be raining when they're here, and they would have trouble being trapped with the scent."

The next day at school I was nervous, not knowing how to warn Bella I would be gone and ask her to only travel from school to home. She kept throwing furtive glances my way until finally taking my hand and pulling me into a deserted hallway. "Are you upset with me?" she asked, surprising me with her question.

"No," I replied, curious what could give her that idea. "What makes you ask?"

"You're quiet, and every time I look at you, you look away."

My mind search for anyone listening in, but all the others were focused on themselves. "We're going to have visitors, and Alice isn't sure when, only that it's raining." I leaned against the wall, pulling her into my arms. "I'm worried about your safety."

"Oh," she replied, relaxing some, "you mean _those_ kind of visitors. If it's raining it could be any time." Then she chuckled. "Are they friends?" At my nod she continued, "Then I'll miss you, but call me when they're gone and we'll hang out."

Smiling I hugged her closer. It was like squeezing a soap bubble, I was worried it would burst. "Esme wants to meet you," I added, remembering she shouldn't come to our house but that my mother was going to be shopping for groceries. "Want to come with me to the grocery store after school? She'll be there then." That made her stiffen and I stood in awe. Strange vampires coming to visit and she relaxes, but meeting one of the members of my family frightens her? "She doesn't bite," I teased, earning a light swat.

"Not funny," she huffed, resting her head on my shoulder. With a heavy sigh she lifted it back up. "Fine, I'll meet her." There was real fear in her eyes. "What if she doesn't like me?"

"I love you, that's all she'll need," I reassured her before spinning her too fast to go to class. She laughed as my arms caught her from falling. Her laughter drew the notice of Mike Newton who happened to be passing.

_I saw that first!_ he said in his thoughts, laying claim to Bella as if she were an object to be owned rather than a lady to be cherished. In reply I smiled, pulling my lips back from my teeth in a grimace that had the effect of causing his heart rate to accelerate along with his feet.

"Edward," Bella hissed, not seeming pleased, "why are you scaring Mike?"

"Because he wants what is mine," I told her, trailing a finger down the side of her face to leave little doubt of what I was referring to.

Her expression was mixed between outrage and pleasure. Finally she rested on pleasure. "Yes, I am yours, as you are mine."

* * *

Christmas shopping is almost done. Was wrapping like a crazy woman last night when I had the house to myself for a few hours. My daughter walked in the door afterward and said "Where'd all the presents come from?" She was excited, even if she tried to act blase.


	21. Chapter 21 Dressing Room

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Parkward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Dressing room

* * *

No sooner had Edward and I returned to making a mess of the papers on the floor than Alice burst into the room. His hand had been rising up my torso, teasing underneath my breast and taking my breath away with anticipation when the door slammed open against the wall accompanied with her shouting "Let's go shopping for your trip!"

And she wondered why I was grumpy, standing in this dressing room as she flung outfit after outfit over the wall. I probably would have been less upset if Edward hadn't agreed that her abducting me had been a good idea; I hadn't missed how he had adjusted his pants after he gave me a quick peck goodbye and pushed me out the door after her. All my protests that we were broke fell on deaf ears.

"Tell me again why we're here when I don't have any money to buy anything?" I whined. It was possible I was hungry as well, it seemed we had been here for hours.

"Finding something for your trip," she said, hands on hips and a defiant glare in her eyes. "If you're going to be married to a doctor you need to look the part."

"I'm going to visit my mother, Alice, not the president," I retorted, my hands moving to my hips, matching her glare for glare. "She knows what I look like, and if you recall, I can't afford it."

The glare was replaced with a gleam. "That's where you're wrong. I have coupons. Now try this on." She grabbed an outfit that was adorable from the hanger and thrust it at me. It really would be nice in the Phoenix heat, but one look at the price tag had me shaking my head.

"I'll try it on, but I won't be buying it," I said, shooing her from the room. She said something else, but I didn't listen. Her voice had simply been way too happy.

It was a white linen dress, modest with cap sleeves, yet still somehow quite sexy. Even being white, the weave was thick enough to hide my undergarments. As the skirt swayed around my calves I couldn't help but smile. My mother would love this dress, and the buttons down the front might make things easier for Edward, if he ever got that far.

"Perfect," Alice said from beside me, making me jump.

"How do you do that? Did the door even open or are you small enough to just crawl underneath?"

"Does Edward know what a grouch you are when you don't get your way?" she quipped back, walking around me to take in every angle. At my arched eyebrow she just shook her head and started gathering clothes off of the hanger on the door, leaving very little behind. "Get changed and throw that over to me," she demanded as she threw the door wide and stalked out.

Hoping we were finally done I did as I was told. If memory served correctly, there was a food court nearby. Edward was working this evening, I had been surprised to find that even when running a private practice that closed at a reasonable time either he or Tanya stayed late just in case they were needed in an emergency. As a result I was on my own for dinner, and right now a slice of greasy pizza sounded really good.

By the time I made it back into the main store the cashier was halfway through ringing up the pile of clothes Alice had picked out for me. "Finally," Alice huffed next to me, coming out of nowhere again and yanking the dress from my grip. "I swear, how anyone can be so against shopping is beyond me."

In reply I just opened my wallet and handed her a ten dollar bill. "That's all I have, so unless you have a fairy godmother stashed somewhere, we need to put all of that back," I told her, waving at the pile.

"Oh, ye of little faith," she said, rolling her eyes and handing coupons that she had extracted from her purse to the cashier. I watched in amazement as the total, which had been in the hundreds, shrunk down lower and lower as each piece of paper was scanned. My jaw hit the floor when the total came to under four dollars. "Oh, goody," Alice said sarcastically, "you can afford to buy me a snack!"

"How?" was all I could get out as I watched the smiling saleswoman begin to load up a very large bag.

"I told you I had coupons, Bella. Maybe next time you'll listen to me." She took one bag from the saleswoman and handed it to me as another was being filled. "Anyway, what should we go eat?"

"I don't suppose you have a coupon for pizza in there, do you?" I asked hopefully, then started to giggle as she opened her purse and started to look. I'd always wondered why she needed one so large, now I knew. "Do you have a filing cabinet of coupons in there or something?" I teased, earning her tongue stuck out at me.

"If you continue to be mean then I won't share what I know," she said in a sing-song voice, still digging.

My eyes narrowed in speculation. "You're making it up. There's nothing new to tell."

"Oh, okay," she said, finally pulling out a piece of paper with a heart "viola!" and handing it to me. It was a buy one get one free coupon for pizza. My mouth was watering already. Grabbing the other bag and thanking the saleswoman she led the way to the food court, humming to herself merrily and not saying anything.

After a few minutes I broke. "Okay, Alice, what do you know?"

"Lots of things, like did you know that pigs orgasm for up to thirty minutes? In my next life, I wanna be a pig." She just smiled and kept walking.

"Ew, Alice, how do you even know that?" I cringed, then felt a surge of jealousy for the pig.

She shrugged, "Read it somewhere."

We walked for a few more steps as I contemplated what that would be like before remembering she was supposed to tell me something else. "Alice, that's not what you were referring to earlier."

Winking at me she giggled, "I know, but I don't need to tell you now."

"Why not?" I asked, frustrated. She just laughed again and pointed. Leaning against the wall next to the pizza place, arms and ankles crossed as he surveyed the crowd, was my Edward. I might have given an excited squeak as I took off running, dropping my bag at Alice's feet. He must have heard me, along with the rest of the food court, because he looked my way, shrugged off the wall he was leaning against and put out his arms in time to catch me as I jumped into them.

Laughing he spun me around. "Did you miss me?"

"Is it obvious?" I said with a smile, leaning in to kiss him.

"Remind me to send you shopping with my sister more often," was the last thing he said as his lips met mine and clapping began in the food court. We seemed to be setting a trend.

* * *

I read that somewhere about pigs. In my next life, I wanna be a pig, or at least have thirty minute orgasms.

This is dedicated to all you amazing women out there who weild coupons like nobody's business. I swear, I hear your stories, I've tried to understand how you accomplish this feat, but still can't figure out how you do it.


	22. Chapter 22 Wrap

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Hitchhiker  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Wrap

* * *

It seemed odd at first to have such a young, and yet very old, boyfriend. Allowing my mind to dwell on the fact that a man older than my father sent my heart fluttering and caused me to seriously consider dropping whatever was covering my body simply made me question my sanity. But then I looked at him, or rather, he looked at me. Looks my father sometimes caught and left Edward smirking.

But lately, something was different. I was never alone. Either Esme, Alice, or Emmett were nearby whenever Edward was at work. "Are you afraid I'm going to run away?" I asked Emmett one day when we were playing chess at the kitchen table. My voice was pitched so low my father wouldn't hear it if he were right next to me, but Emmett chuckled.

Whenever he was the one watching me he regaled with tales of vampire super-powers. Through him I found out about all the cool things that becoming a vampire could get you, including more information on some of their 'enhanced' abilities. He offered to tell me what his enhancement was, but I declined, blushing furiously. After laughing loudly enough to make my ears hurt he had informed me that was already enhanced enough, and he was referring to his strength.

Now, though, he took my question seriously. Another thought that sent chills down my spine.

"More like we're worried someone will run off with you," he whispered back, coming very close to capturing my queen.

"Volturi?" I asked again, moving that all-important piece to safety, sacrificing a pawn. Only after having made the move did I see how advantageous it was. This game could be won in just a few more moves.

"Someone new," he said shaking his head at the board. "Alice saw them. Nomads we've never met before." His hand paused over the board, eyeing the pieces in play. "Edward's afraid for you, and would watch you every second if he could, but he's expected at the hospital."

"When?" I asked, cringing when he finally settled on a move, calling out 'check' as his rook came in line with my king.

He didn't respond, only sat staring at the board as I made my next move out of check, placing his king in danger. "Check," I called, smiling, seeing the end. Emmett sat frozen still, staring at the board. "Um, Emmett?" I asked, poking him a little. It felt like poking a cold rock.

Suddenly his head snapped up, a low growl forming in his throat as he sniffed the air and tilted his head as if listening to something. "Don't move," he ordered, and then was gone. Not just out of the kitchen but out of the house.

For a full five minutes I sat there, glued to my seat with fear as my heart pounded in my chest. But as is typical for humans, as the threat of danger passes, so does the belief it exists. Eventually I simply began to feel ridiculous sitting here, and rose to get something to drink. He didn't return.

Thirty minutes later I put away the chessboard, laughing to myself that he'd probably heard a bear and was having a mighty feast. His order to not move was forgotten as the sun went down and Charlie returned home. After all, dinner had to be prepared and neither one of us ate grizzly.

Dad caught me looking at the clock and chuckled. "How long until Edward's shift ends?"

I smiled back. "Forty-two minutes and twenty-three seconds, why?" My face was red, but I knew my dad had no doubt as to my feelings and would enjoy the laugh. He had watched for the past few weeks as Edward had courted me. Granted he had no idea that Edward was also seducing me, slowly and in such a way to leave me breathless, or at least I thought he didn't know..

Eyeing me carefully he took a deep breath and set down the paper he had been watching me over the top of. "You two are being careful, right? I mean, I don't mind becoming a grandparent, but I'd prefer it if you married first." When I looked at him aghast he shook his head. "Come off it, Bells. I see how you two look at each other, and was once young. I'm also aware you're a grown woman who's graduated college, which means the odds of you still being a virgin are very low. I'm not asking for details, heaven knows I don't want them, I'm just asking you to be careful."

Thinking of all the 'companionship' we'd had over the last couple weeks, being careful was the last thing I was worried about. "Trust me, dad, we aren't alone enough to have anything to be careful about."

"I've noticed that and was wondering why none of them are here tonight," he said, just as a knock sounded on the door.

"Emmett was here earlier, but had to run," I answered as I went to open the door. It was too soon to be Edward, and my hand stilled over the knob. "You expecting anyone?" I called to my dad.

"No one but Edward," he said with a chuckle. "Maybe it's one of the other Cullens come to watch you. If I didn't think better I'd believe they're worried you were going to run for the hills or something."

The knock sounded again, firmer this time. I knew whoever was on the other side had heard me call to my dad, so knew I was home, but something was holding me back from answering it. When my father mirrored my own question, a chill of premonition filled me.

A glance back to my dad told me that he had noticed my hesitation with a raised eyebrow. Putting his feet down and rising from the recliner he had occupied as soon as he could, he strode purposefully to where he hung his gun. "I'm gonna grab another beer," he said, pulling the gun from its holster. I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't think it would work. Surely Alice would see my worry and come soon?

Rapping on the door happened again, causing me to call out, "Be right there!" Maybe it was only Emmett's earlier warning that had me so concerned. With one hand on the door and my father by the fridge, his gun trained on the door as well, I pulled it open.

And found flowers; a dozen roses, smelling a bit too sweet. "Oh!" I said, reaching out to wrap my fingers around the preferred bundle. "For me?" I asked, before taking a good look at the delivery person. He was perfect, too perfect, in the way the Cullens were perfect.

Sniffing at the air he smiled. "It would seem I've found the right house," he said, his eyes glancing over to where my father was standing, now shaking his head as he put his gun away and muttering about me being jumpy. "Why don't you come out and sign for these?" the stranger asked, taking a step back.

Fear filled my body, making it impossible for me to move. "I don't think your father needs to see me, does he?" the stranger asked with a smile. Trying to appear normal to protect Charlie I nodded and forced my feet out the door.

* * *

Merry Christmas Adam! (Adam came before Eve? Never mind, sometimes I amuse only myself.)


	23. Chapter 23 Candy

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Candy

* * *

Very soon Edward became a constant fixture in my life. He seemed to pick up on the fact that I wasn't ready for a deeply romantic relationship with him, despite the fact that whenever he kissed me it left my knees wobbly and my breathing practically non-existent. Each time that happened he would just smile, tell me that was just to remind me that he wanted more when I was ready, and, after making sure my legs would support me, go back to his own apartment. Thankfully those times only happened every few days or my willpower would erode faster than limestone in acid.

This was one of the times when Edward wasn't kissing me, but was being my friend. I had been hard at work trying to put together a new art history presentation for elementary school children. It was a rare day off for him, and he assured me he didn't mind spending his time in the museum. I was piecing the part of the education program on restoration, teaching young minds the importance of taking care of our treasures and what we had to do to bring them back after years of neglect.

As I worked on the flow of the material, trying to explain the complex process of restoring artwork, Edward sat beside me, munching on hard candy and making comments. A few times Dr. Banner would poke his head in to see how things were coming, and probably checking to see if we were actually working. At the moment we were arguing, something I think Dr. Banner found highly amusing.

"No, Edward, it doesn't make sense to put the slides in that order," I was complaining as he was rearranging the presentation. "Why on earth would you talk about how good the Statue of David looks now before showing what it had been like?"

"To prove the point maybe?" he argued back. "They can see what it looks like now, then see what it was."

"As opposed to seeing what it was, then the work involved, followed by the final product?" When I grabbed for the mouse he held it up out of my reach, making me pull on his arm. "We can show them side by side afterward."

"No, I like it better this way," he chuckled, placing a hand on my forehead to push me away. "The kids won't know how important it is until after you explain its significance, then you can tell them what had to be done to clean it up."

"They aren't going to care about its significance at first anyway," I said, fighting against his restraining hand, trying to duck down to get after the mouse again. "They'll get how important it is after they see what was done to clean it up." Making another grab I finally managed to get hold of the mouse cord, yanking it to get it out of his grip. What I hadn't anticipated was that as soon as my hands were on it he would bodily pick me up and pull me away from the computer.

His arms were around my waist and he was leaning backwards as I kicked and screamed to be put down, my hand still wrapped up in the cord of the mouse. There was no way I was letting it go, even if it pulled the entire computer off the desk. When he backed up enough to reach the length of the cord, though, it went flying from my hands. Spinning he put me down, facing away from the computer and giving me a little push so I fell over the desk on that side before running back and making another grab for the mouse.

"Edward!" I screeched, pushing myself back onto my feet. Once my body was spun back around I decided to take a different tact, mostly because a very amused Esme was standing in the doorway where her son couldn't see her. "Edward, please give me back the mouse," I said calmly, trying to control my breathing. "I need to get this job done. It's my job. Please let me do it. If Dr. Banner wants it changed, then I'll do that later."

"No," he replied, almost petulantly. "You have to come and take it from me." He leaned against the desk his computer was on. With an evil glint in his eyes he took hold of the waistband of his pants and made like he was going to put the mouse down the front. "I dare you," he taunted.

"Edward Anthony!" a very firm, very shocked Esme cried from the doorway. "You give that mouse back to Bella and leave her alone. She has a job to do." Edward's look of surprise was almost priceless, but was surpassed by his look of shame at having been caught by his mother. "I can't believe Dr. Banner had to call me and tell me you were causing trouble for his employee," she continued as Edward's face turned a brilliant shade of red. "Put that mouse down, on the table, and leave this room now!"

It was entirely possible I looked smug as I walked over to him, holding my hand out for the mouse. His eyes belied the look of shame on his face as amusement danced in their depths. "This isn't over Miss Swan," he whispered as he handed me the mouse. "I can't believe you called my mother on me."

"I didn't, if you recall I've been in here fighting with you the entire time." Taking the mouse and setting it on the desk I quickly hit the undo button until the presentation was back the way it had been before he started to mess around with it. "Now, if you promise to be good, I'll ask if you can stay."

Fire joined the amused dance in his eyes, making my insides melt a little. "Oh, I'll be very good, Miss Swan," he crooned. Too bad his mother heard him.

"Edward!" she cried, blushing as she took hold of his shirt and started pulling him to the door. "I swear, Bella, I raised him better than this!" she tried to explain, obviously embarrassed.

"It's all right, Esme," I chuckled. "Just keep him entertained for a few more hours until I'm done here, please. I'll call you when I'm free."

"I'm not an infant to be babysat," he groused, getting chuckles from both of us.

"Not an infant, Edward," his mother said, "but definitely a young child. Now leave Bella alone."

Following them to the door I could see an amused Dr. Banner on the other side. "I hope you don't mind, Bella, but I could tell you were honestly trying to work," he said.

"No worries, sir," I said, waving to him. "Edward just needs to learn some boundaries."

He nodded to me then turned to Esme, "Can I speak with you for a moment, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked, resulting in a pouting Edward being freed.

Plucking at his shirt I smiled up at him. "Hey, I'm off at five, why don't you come get me then?"

"Will it involve kissing?" he asked, smiling down at me, looking like a little boy asking for his favorite toy. "You haven't kissed me in a few days. I'm going through withdrawals."

"Oh? Is that how you explain your behavior in there?" I asked, letting him wrap his arms around me.

"Maybe I just wanted your body close to mine," he said, laying his head on top of mine after fitting my head into the hallow of his shoulder.

"That's fine, but it can't be when I'm at work, Edward." Esme and Dr. Banner were returning so I pulled out of his embrace. "Come get me at five. I promise to be ready then."

"Fine," he huffed melodramatically. "I guess I can wait." With a last kiss on my forehead he followed his mother out to the front doors. It was impossible to not watch him walk away. The way he walked was enough to increase the pace of my breathing. Right as he reached the doors he turned around and waved with a smirk. "Bella? I still think it looks better my way," he said as a parting shot, then laughed and walked out the door.

* * *

Sorry I've been MIA! I don't have work this week, and silly me thought that meant I'd have plenty of time to write. It appears I was sorely mistaken. On the plus side, all my family was home for Christmas. First time in six years. I was one happy momma!


	24. Chapter 24 Voice

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, New Plot Bunny  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Voice

* * *

_This has been the most horrible day of my entire life._

That one thought kept going through my head on infinite repeat. It was like listening to one of my dad's old records, when the needle got stuck and kept playing the same groove over and over again. Only, this time, it was my voice in my brain telling me that the day couldn't get any worse. At least it was over. All I had to do was leave my desk, ride down the elevator, walk across the lobby, exit the office building, catch the bus back to my apartment, make myself something for dinner and then crawl under my covers. What could go wrong?

Maybe I should skip dinner. After today, I'd be lucky if I didn't set fire to the apartment.

It had all started when I overslept this morning, something that hasn't happened since graduating from middle school. Charlie used to always wonder at my ability to just wake up at the right time. Shaking his head he would tell me it was the best thing to inherit from my otherwise chaotic mother. But it seemed my internal clock was broken this morning, and my habit of not setting an alarm was going to be a big problem.

When my eyes finally opened and registered that my bus had just left my bus-stop I had shrieked loudly enough to set the neighbor's dog barking. As a result my shower had been lightening-fast. There was simply no time to do anything with my hair, so after brushing it out it just hung loose behind my back. Thankfully my habit of picking out my clothes the night before came in handy, only to have the strap on my mary-janes break, forcing me to reach for the heels of death, the only other shoes that went with the skirt.

One good thing about those shoes, though, they made hailing a cab quick and easy. The cabbie eyed my legs, what he could see of them under the calf-length A-line skirt, as he opened the door for me. "I'm late for a meeting," I told him, wanting him to hurry, and hurry he did, until we got stuck behind an accident. A quick check of my purse informed me that my cell phone was probably on my kitchen counter, so there would be no apologetic calls to my boss.

When we finally reached the office building where I worked, I just threw some money for the cabbie into the front seat and jumped out. "Thanks lady!" he yelled, then pealed out so quickly that the smell of tires burning quickly reached everyone on the sidewalk. Taking a peak in my wallet I groaned. I thought I had grabbed a ten dollar bill, turned out I had given him everything. There would be no lunch for me today.

Flying as fast as my heels would allow I finally made it to my desk, only to find a note from my boss, hurriedly scribbled on a sheet of yellow paper, telling to go straight to the conference room on the seventh floor. My stomach sank to the floor, this meeting was with the executives? Crap!

Naturally the elevator had to stop on _every _floor between the second, where the peons of the publishing house slaved, and the seventh, which housed the elite. By the time I reached that top floor there was no one else in the car with me. In fact, many strange looks had been cast at me when I pushed that topmost button. Come to think of it, I was pretty sure there was a separate elevator for the execs.

My heel caught in the space between the car and the floor, twisting my ankle painfully. The administrative assistant took pity on me and rushed to help me wrench the shoe out. "Are you Bella?" she asked sweetly. At my nod a look of sadness came into her face. "Oh, dear, you're quite late. I'll call ahead to let them know you've arrived." Thanking her profusely I hobbled the rest of the way to the conference room she pointed out.

In a last-ditch effort to make a good impression I put my shoe back on, opened the door, only to have the same shoe catch on the carpet, sending me stumbling into the arms of Edward Cullen. "Miss Swan?" he asked, holding me up, away from his body. "Is there a reason for your tardiness?" he asked after my nod, setting me down on my feet. A look of concern swept across his face when he noticed my wince, my ankle really hurt. "I see, perhaps you should invest in more sensible shoes?"

"They broke," I replied, finally finding my voice, "and I overslept. I'm so sorry."

"Is your alarm clock broken as well?" he asked, coldness returning to his voice as he waved me to a seat.

"Apparently," I answered, hobbling over, glad to sit down finally. Glancing down it seemed that my ankle was swelling. Hopefully it wouldn't turn black and blue like the last time it was sprained.

"You are the Miss Swan who wrote the report on accuracy in editing, am I correct?" Mr. Cullen asked, staring me down.

"Yes," I replied, only it sounded more like a question.

"And yet you failed to use your own principles on your last assignment?" As I gaped at him he slid my last book over. It was a children's book, aimed at eleven-year-old boys, on the history of hockey. Opening it a word, right on the front page, caught my attention. It was supposed to be a picture showing the gear, and right on the bottom, with an arrow pointing to the puck was the word for it, only the letter P had been replaced with an F. Turning the page, I saw it again, and again. Every instance where the word 'puck' appeared, the P was an F.

"My copy wasn't like this," I had argued, to little avail. In the end I had run from the room, fighting tears as I gathered the copy on my desk. Thankfully, I had been correct, there were no vulgarities in it. Something had happened elsewhere. The directive from Mr. Cullen had been to find where it had occurred, and report back to him. It had taken me all day, making it just as well I didn't have any lunch, but eventually the programming error had been found. Turns out one of the IT guys who had been fired a couple weeks prior had unleashed a Trojan, and any word ending in 'uck' had the previous letters, be they a P, a Tr, or a B, with an F.

My report was emailed to Mr. Cullen at seven, and I was contemplating the possibility of setting fire to my apartment while cooking dinner after this horrible day, when my phone rang on my desk. Did I mention this had been the most horrible day of my life? Well, it was about to get worse.

"Cullen Publishing, this is Bella," I answered, trying not to sound as exhausted as I felt.

"Hi honey!" my mom replied. "You'll never guess where I am!"

I'm sure all color drained from my face. "Oh, mom, I'm so sorry! I was going to meet you at the airport!" I had completely forgotten! What a terrible daughter I am.

"No problem, dear. I figured you were stuck at work, as usual, so took a cab. I'm down in the lobby. You'll never guess who I met!"

Any blood left in my face was now gone. About six months back, in order to get my mother to stop harassing me about my non-existent love life, I concocted a lie. It was the night of the Christmas party, the night I had been introduced to Mr. Edward Cullen, as well as his father, mother, brother, sister, sister-in-law and brother-in-law. They had stood in a line, greeting each employee individually. My report on editing techniques had just gotten me the equivalent of a gold star, a thank you from Mr. Carlisle Cullen on a job well done, and they were all kind enough to mention it at the party. Edward Cullen had smiled at me at that time, and had come over after the food was served to comment again on my report. That night I told my mother I was dating him. Last week I might have told her that he proposed. I had planned on telling her that I broke up with him, dropping little hints that we were fighting, but when I went to say 'We broke up' my mouth instead said 'he proposed.'

"Bella?" my mother's voice was calling from the receiver, breaking me from my horror. "I'm standing in the lobby with Edward and his family right now! Please hurry down! Your future father-in-law has invited us to dinner."

I was so dead.

* * *

This little idea was keeping me up at night, so I thought I'd put it down. I hope you all have a wonderful, and safe, New Year! NO drinking and driving! Call a cab, the fare is cheaper than yours, or someone else's, life.


	25. Chapter 25 Morning

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity (Thanks to MaraBenefici for the name!)  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Morning

* * *

Waiting for the elevator to open to carry me down one floor to my doom I found myself wishing I had just called in sick when I overslept this morning. The doors flew open, startling me. Looking into the car, I breathed a sigh of relief when it was empty. That relief was short-lived, for upon reaching the bottom floor they opened to the piercing green eyes that had so coldly regarded me this morning. Now, they seemed…amused?

"Bella!" my mother cried, launching herself into my arms to hug me. "Oh, you're a sight for sore eyes." Holding my head in her hands she kissed me soundly on the cheek before stage-whispering, "He's quite good-looking! And so charming!" There was sniggering in front of me. One look over my mother's shoulder showed Edward rolling his eyes while his brother and sister laughed. His father seemed concerned, his mother and brother-in-law smiling, but his sister-in-law's look was almost murderous.

"Mrs. Dwyer," Edward crooned, "may I borrow Bella for a minute? There's something I've left in my office."

"Of course," she giggled, "just don't spend too long making out up there. I'm hungry!"

"Mother!" I hissed, mortified, but Edward just chuckled.

"We won't be too long," he reassured her, taking my elbow to hold me in the elevator. "Will we honey?"

"No?" I asked, petrified over what was coming. With one last smile at the group huddled around the elevator he pushed the button for his floor. As soon as the doors closed he released my arm and stepped away, leaning on the far wall and crossing his arms across his chest. The smile was replaced with a contemplative look, one eyebrow raised in question, but I couldn't think of anything to say.

What felt like the world's longest elevator ride finally came to an end, the doors opening with a ding and making me jump. He took hold of my elbow again and directed me in front of him, slowing down as I hobbled on my bad ankle, past the conference room where he had yelled at me this morning, down a long hallway, stopping in front of the door to his office. After fishing the key from his pocket and unlocking the door he guided me to a chair. "Please be seated," was all he said before walking around his desk and sitting in his chair.

Then it was silent again. Occasionally I would peek up from where I was memorizing the pattern on the rug, my face burning, to see him watching me. There was a clock somewhere in his office, the seconds ticking away loudly, but my eyes only went the two places, and his face was only for no more than a second each time.

"How long have we been dating?" he asked, breaking the silence and making me jump.

"A little over six months," I whispered.

"And when did I propose?" Amusement was in his voice, as if he couldn't believe such a thing was possible.

"Why don't you just fire me?" I whispered. "I'm so sorry for the embarrassment I've caused, I never thought my mother would find you, she lives in Arizona! I just wanted her to quit harassing me over not dating."

He chuckled. "Are you through?" When I nodded he sighed, the squeaking of his chair indicating movement. "Please look at me," he asked softly, and was quiet until my eyes found his. "Thank you," he said a couple minutes later. With a wry smile he ran his hand through his hair, and grabbed a paper on the side of his desk and threw it over in front of me. "Please read this," he commanded.

With a trembling hand I reached out for the paper. It was the gossip section of the Seattle Times, the headline read, 'Seattle's Most Eligible Bachelor Never Seen Dating, Could He Be Gay?' My eyes traveled down the article; it spoke of Edward, how he was a hermit, never seen in public with a woman, and saying that perhaps it was time he came out of the closet. It detailed his family, wealth, position, salary, and that the last time a woman had been seen on his arm she turned out to be his cousin, Tanya, fresh off of a break-up of her own. The speculation of his sexual orientation was put forth continually, although a small sentence at the end stated he'd never been seen with any guys except family members.

"Are you?" I asked, getting a snort of derision in response.

"Of course not, I've just never met anyone interesting enough to date."

His reply made me laugh, a cold, worried chuckle. "Me neither, that's why I made up the story. You were nice to me at the Christmas party, and my mom called that night to ask if I'd met anyone." My perusal of the carpet ended as I looked into his curious, beautiful eyes. "I'd met you, so I told my mom that. Before I knew it, just to keep her happy, I was concocting an entire relationship."

"Maybe you should share this relationship with me," he said, tenting his fingers over his nose as he looked at me.

"Why?"

"Do you see who wrote the article?" I shook my head and looked down to read the byline. Jessica Stanley, I'd seen her name and picture on buses. The blush that had been burning through my face evaporated as once again the blood drained from my face. I'd seen her tonight, standing next to Carlisle. "I see you know the problem now? I'd hate for your name to be slandered. No doubt, your mother is down there right now, regaling my unknowing parents with stories of our dates. I do hope they are things I would do, because Miss Stanley's tape recorder is probably picking up every word."

"Oh, crap," I moaned, burying my head in my hands. "Just fire me now. I don't care if you tell them I lied. I'm so sorry."

The next thing I knew he was in front of me, pulling my hands away from my face. "Miss Swan. Bella, you can help me." With my eyes trained on him it was my turn to lift an eyebrow in question, a look that made him laugh. He took my hands in one of his and rolled his eyes as he stood, pulling me up with him. "Here's the truth, you are a very pretty girl, and an extremely smart one. I may be in trouble with my dad, but if you continue to go along with this, we'll get your mom, my entire family, and the horrible Miss Stanley, off our backs about marriage."

"You…you, _want _to marry me? Are you insane?" Ripping my hands from his I stepped back, onto my bad ankle at an angle that sent spikes of pain up my leg. With a cry I collapsed, but the floor never found me. Instead I was held against a very warm, very hard chest that was vibrating with laughter.

"You're rather clumsy, aren't you?" His arm swept under my legs, lifting me to place me gently in the chair. This time he took the seat next to mine. "Look, let's just try it. If you can't stand me in a couple years, then we'll get a divorce. I'll sign a pre-nup that if we divorce then you get a minimum of five million dollars in alimony."

"I don't want your money," I said, affronted. "I'm not a prostitute!"

"Hmm, I suppose we should talk about sex, have we done that yet?"

"No!"

"We're engaged and haven't had sex?" he seemed confused. "Why not?"

My face was burning again and the carpet was once more much easier to look at. "Because, when you found out I was a virgin you said you wanted to wait, to make it special. It was something we fought about." My hands were back over my face.

He sat back quickly in his chair. When I glanced up it was to see his eyes open wide. "And are you a virgin?" When I nodded, once again looking down, he asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-five." Looking up again I could see he was shocked. "It wasn't for lack of offers, just none of the guys I've dated have ever appealed to me. Especially not enough to do _that _with them."

The phone on his desk rang, stopping him from saying something. His brusque answering of it, followed by a quick apology gave me an idea of who it was. "We'll be right down," he finished, hanging it up. "They're expecting us. That was my father." He placed both hands on the desk and sighed before looking up at me again. "So, are we doing this?" he asked, "Because I'm game."

Without knowing how it happened my head nodded. "Good, I do hope this fits," he replied, opening a drawer. "This was my grandmother's ring, but neither Rosalie nor Alice wanted it. If you aren't opposed, would you mind wearing it?" I found myself rising from the chair, hobbling around it to where he stood holding out an old, black velvet box. Opening it I found a beautiful ring with many small diamonds, a lace of fine gold threads wove over the top. It was better than any I had ever dreamed of. Nodding once again he took my hand and slipped it onto my ring finger. "Oh, good, it does fit." It felt like a ton weighing on my finger.

The third wrenching of my ankle just moments before made it next to impossible for me to walk back to the elevator. I suggested him pushing me in a chair, but he just rolled his eyes and picked me up in his arms again. As the numbers ticked down he looked at me askance. "I suppose there is something else we should do," he said, his eyes darting to my lips.

"What?" I asked, trembling, fearful that I knew.

"This," he whispered, then lowered his lips to mine. As soon as they touched my blood boiled within, sending shock waves of desire through me. He spun around, pressing my body against the wall of the elevator as his lips devoured mine, a groan coming from him, or me, or both of us. My fingers threaded up through his hair, holding him in place. When his tongue lightly danced across my lower lip I moaned and opened to him, blown away by his taste.

A loud, and upset, "Edward!" followed by a flash of light told us that the doors to the elevator had opened. Pulling away from me I could see a look of pleased surprise on Edward's face and hear my mother's giggle in the background. I was blushing furiously again, and buried my head in his shoulder.

"Edward, put her down," Carlisle demanded, and I could hear the overtones of disapproval.

"I can't, she's sprained her ankle," he said with a chuckle, as if he was pleased with the excuse. "I'll just carry her to my car. Mrs. Dwyer, would you like to ride with Emmett? My car is a two-seater. I'm feeling rather hungry. Emmett, please take Mrs. Dwyer's luggage?"

Glancing over I saw Emmett's mouth slowly close as his eyes lit up. "Will do bro. See you at the restaurant." He reached over and grabbed my mother's bags, called to the others, even inviting Miss Stanley to ride with him and Rosalie, and followed us out.

How we were going to make it through dinner was beyond me.

* * *

These two seriously won't shut up! I go to bed thinking about them, wake up thinking about them. Hopefully, when they've had their fill, I'll remember where I was with my other stories. But for now, I'll try to get them out of my head.


	26. Chapter 26 Countdown

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Countdown

* * *

Despite my many insistences that I could, in fact, hobble quite well, Edward carried me in his arms out to where a sportscar was waiting. It was sleek and silver, all smooth lines and shining chrome. He finally set me down beside the passenger door, long enough to extract his keys, pressing the button on the fob to open the door. Then he lifted me back up to settle me into the seat.

From over his shoulder I could see the rest of his family making their way to separate vehicles. Emmett seemed far too happy about something, but Carlisle and Rosalie were shooting us looks that made the acid in my stomach roil. The others had a range of expressions on their faces. Esme's mostly mirrored Carlisle's, but only when looking at him. It was replaced with a small smile when she looked at us. My mother was beaming.

The sound of Edward's door closing brought me out of my contemplation of our families. "Seatbelt," he reminded me, as he put on his own, waiting until mine clicked before he even put the key in the ignition.

"This is a nice car, what kind is it?" I asked timidly, looking around at the interior.

"The car? Is that what you're going to ask me about when we have an engagement to fake?" he asked, incredulity lacing every word as he shook his head. Shooting out of the parking space he swung the car around and out into traffic as if the hounds of hell were after him. My hands gripped the seats, my ankle reporting back on every twist and turn the vehicle made. One particularly sharp turn made me gasp and reach down, a tear forming at the corner of my eye. Seeing this, he made another sharp turn, muttering 'sorry' when I winced again. Within a couple minutes I could see we were outside of an all-night Instacare facility. "Let's get that ankle looked at," he muttered, smoothly coming around to gather me from my seat.

I would have protested, but it was really throbbing now. As soon as the light hit it I could see it was turning a lovely shade of dark blue. Thank goodness my wardrobe had navy tights in it. After setting me gently in the chair Edward went to check me in, coming back with a clipboard. "Full name?" he asked, pen poised and ready.

"I can fill it out myself, you know," I informed him, arms crossing over my chest.

"But this way I get vital information on you," he said with a smile. With a roll of my eyes I began answering his questions, name, birthday, previous injuries, and current medications. "Why are you taking birth control if you're a virgin?" was an especially embarrassing question, until we came to "How many concussions have you had?" That one had me reaching for the clipboard. Would have gotten it, too, if my ankle wasn't so bad; it collapsed under me when I jumped up, causing me to scream out in pain. Turns out the heels of death were still on my feet. At least my priority was raised to number one. Edward laughed that the only thing that could have rushed me back quicker was if I had told them my chest and left arm hurt.

We did finally manage to get into an examination room where the doctor proceeded to torture me, all in the name of medicine. "We'll need to x-ray it," was his conclusion, to no one's surprise, including Carlisle's. He'd called, wondering where we had disappeared to, and took Edward's order for both of us in the hope we might make it to dinner. The thought of my mother at dinner alone with the Cullens was enough for the doctor to ask if I needed a sedative.

When the doctor left to set up the x-ray, Edward pulled the chair around to face me. "When did we start dating and why?" he asked.

With a sigh, I answered. "Valentine's Day. We had dinner at work. You noticed I was working late and brought it to me."

He seemed quite surprised. "Why then?"

"When I was leaving I noticed you coming out of the other elevator, so from then on I timed each of our 'dates' for when you worked late as well." He was smiling and nodding, so I continued. "You seemed to be working later more often, which meant we were dating more."

"So you noticed me there, but never talked to me?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest. His eyes were dancing with something like amusement, as if I was telling a joke only he understood.

"Yes, it just seemed easier." I paused and watched as he shook his head. "What? Why are you laughing?"

He waved me off. "I'll tell you later. For now we need to get our stories straight. What did we usually do on these dates?"

I shifted a little on the table, the paper crinkling noisily underneath me. "Usually we just ate and talked." It was difficult to look at him, but even harder to look away. His gaze was penetrating and demanding as I tried to explain. "We never went out in public, because you were worried about the non-fraternization policy. I didn't want you to get in trouble for sexual harassment or anything."

With a shocked laugh he almost fell backward off the little doctor's stool he was seated on. Thankfully the doctor came in then and was able to catch him from falling. "You may want to try the chair, sir. I'll only have her in x-ray for a few minutes. Then she'll be back." Edward nodded, but jumped up to help me into the wheelchair.

The time spent in x-ray was pretty much like what I was expecting. Some poor technician came out and apologized profusely for the many positions of pain she forced my ankle into, just to get a good picture. From vast experience I had learned how to hold still, no matter how much it hurt. This was a sure way to ensure a quick trip. She wheeled me back to my room, where Edward was pacing, waiting to pounce with more questions.

"Favorite book?" he asked, laughing when I revealed it was anything by Jane Austen, or the Bronte sisters. He continued, asking question after question until my head began to ache, supplying the answer for himself after getting mine from me. When I pointed out there was no way he was going to remember everything, he repeated it back verbatim. "I have an almost photographic memory, and can remember almost every detail of something." He ran his fingers through his hair and looked chagrined. "My parents know this, so if our stories differ, they'll always believe me. I'm almost never wrong. That's why I'm trying to learn everything. The problem is that they're going to ask me a date and know I should know it. Forcing a memory that doesn't exist into my brain is next to impossible. The good news is that I do remember seeing you on most of the days you've listed."

"So I need to tell you what we talked about on each of those dates?" I asked, my mind racing.

"Yes, can you remember? I can just go back and check today, then tell them what you told me."

I smiled. "I can do better than that, I've kept the emails to my mother, telling her what we did." Then my face dropped as I recalled where my phone was. "But my phone is sitting on my kitchen counter, in my apartment."

He stood up quickly, pulling out his phone. "We can look them up on here," he offered. For the next twenty minutes he read the details of our 'dates', chuckling at some, rolling his eyes at others. "My parents know I hate broccoli. They'll never believe I ate a huge helping of beef and broccoli."

"Tell them you did it for me, trying to impress me," I argued back, making him laugh.

"I never worry about impressing people."

"You were me!" I countered, earning a laugh.

Just as he was finished reading, the doctor came in, telling me that I was lucky, it wasn't broken. "It is very badly sprained, so does need to be casted, though. And be sure to get some sensible shoes." Luckily the cast he offered was a walking cast. While not the latest in fashion, it did allow me to take it off and wash my leg. After being handed yet another set of crutches, and Edward noticing I didn't have much better balance with those, I was carried back to the car.

Ten minutes later we were in front of the restaurant. One glance over told me that Edward was dreading what was coming as well. "You don't have to do this," I whispered, wondering why he agreed to in the first place. It would be easier for him to have told Miss Stanley that I had made up the whole thing, and no, he wasn't gay.

"I told you, I'm game. There is one question I haven't asked yet that will come up." He leaned back in his seat, looking relaxed.

"What's that?"

"When was our first kiss? And don't say today!" he teased, looking incredibly handsome as he reached over to brush my hair back. "I noticed it wasn't in any of your emails."

"Good Friday," I told him. "It was supposed to be a holiday, but we all worked to get a book to print that day."

He nodded, his hand cupping my face now. "I remember that day. There was a big countdown clock widget sent to everyone's computer, letting us know how long we had. You were there when the first book came off the press, working overtime to give it one final read-through. As I recall, you caught a couple mistakes." His thumb was now stroking my cheek as he stared into my eyes. Slowly he leaned forward, pulling my face toward him. "When is our second kiss?"

"For real, or fake?"

"For real," he whispered, his breath ghosting over my lips as he hovered there, allowing me to make the final move.

"Now," I whispered back, closing the distance. Passion flared through me again, consuming me as I moaned into his mouth, receiving his own groan of pleasure in return. His hands pulled me from my seat, across the console and into his lap, only to have his door suddenly open.

"Dude, dad is pissed!" Emmett yelled, catching me with a laugh as my momentum carried me out the door. "You'd better get inside before he catches you making out in the car!"

* * *

Have a great day!


	27. Chapter 27 Exalt

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Exalt

* * *

After a heated discussion regarding whether or not I needed to be carried into the restaurant, Edward finally relented and allowed me to walk. He did stay very close, though, getting in the way of the crutches from time to time. I'd warned him that being that close could be dangerous, that the sticks of wood became lethal weapons in my hands, but he had laughed, until the third time a crutch made contact. By the time we made it to the table he asked if I were hitting him on purpose, something that sent my mother into gales of laughter.

"Oh, Edward, surely you've figured out by now how clumsy she is?" she asked while waiting to spoon some crème brulee into her mouth.

"I keep hoping it'll change," he said with a smile as he helped me sit down. Looking around it seemed that what hadn't changed was anyone's opinion. Carlisle still looked concerned, shooting looks of disapproval at Edward. Rosalie was staring at me coldly, waves of hostility coming off of her. Alice and Jasper just sat back and smiled expectantly while Emmett teased Edward, asking if I kept a whip to beat him when I wasn't on crutches. He and my mom were the only ones speaking, since she found the question hilarious.

"How long have you been dating?" Carlisle asked, breaking the silence of the rest of the family and starting in on the questions. Edward's recall was amazing, he only asked me a couple times to 'tell the story' of a date, mostly when Renee asked about a time not covered in the emails. If it wasn't for Alice's giggling to Jasper and Rosalie's glare, I would have thought we were fooling them rather well. The waiter had brought our meals out to us as soon as we were seated, helping us to cover up hesitations by chewing.

Before too long, though, my refusal to take a pain killer before dinner was showing itself to be a really bad idea. Every movement was making my ankle throb. Edward eyed me for a while, until a particularly bad wince made him roll his eyes and pull the sample pills the doctor had given us from his pocket. "Bella, please take one," he all but begged, pushing the pill into my hand. "I'll call your boss to tell him you aren't coming in tomorrow, so please just stay home."

Since it was hurting so bad I nodded and gulped the pill down, forgetting how much narcotics affected me. My eyes began to droop and no amount of shaking my head would wake me. It seemed that even the effort required to lift the fork to my mouth was monumental and certainly not worth it. Meanwhile, Edward's warm shoulder was close by, smelled heavenly, and appeared to have a little dip in it that my head would fit perfectly in.

"What did you give her?" I heard my mother ask from a great distance.

"Just a Lortab," Edward's voice reverberated through my head.

"You'd better get her home quickly. She'll be out in just a few minutes and won't wake up for the rest of the night. I'm surprised…"

What surprised my mother was unknown to me, because at that time all I became aware of was floating. The table disappeared as I was lifted up. Vibrations of Edward talking wove through me in a haze as the floating continued, taking me from the restaurant and setting me in the car where the floating went on. Hands were pushing at me in this place, though, begging me to wake up so they could take me home. But the seat that had replaced the hard arms was just too soft, making me sink down into it and drift away.

Sometime later the arms replaced the seat, cool air replacing warm, as I rose up on a breeze. My mother's voice could be heard at a distance again, but I couldn't make out what she was saying, only that something else had amused her. She laughed again, closer and louder this time, as the arms disappeared once more, allowing me to straighten out onto a soft cloud.

The sun burning into my eyes woke me from the fog with a start. "Not again," I groaned, sitting up quickly. "I can't be late to work again." While trying to swing my legs off the bed I encountered another body and pain shot through my ankle. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," I muttered, reaching down to where I found my ankle encased in a walking cast, my outfit from yesterday still on, and Rosalie Cullen sitting beside me, glaring.

"Oh!" I said with a start, confused why she was there. Then the day before came rushing into my brain. "Oh, no," was followed by me putting my face in my hands, hoping the beautiful woman beside me would just leave me in my misery.

"Did you know you talk in your sleep?" Rosalie asked, her voice as cold as her demeanor.

"What did I say?" I whispered, afraid to look at her, terrified to not.

She rolled her eyes. "Only Edward's name, and then you asking him not to go." A look of suspicion grew in her eyes. "Are you pregnant? Is that how you trapped him?"

"What?" My voice was strangled with shock, barely discernable to me, but she seemed to hear me.

"Are you hoping to exalt yourself? Get promoted? Is that why you decided to seduce my brother-in-law?"

I was gaping like a fish out of water when the calvary came in the form of Edward. He was holding a plate, the smell of eggs wafting before him. Stopping in his tracks, the food stopping with him, he looked from me to Rosalie and back. "What's going on in here?"

"I was just asking if she was pregnant," Rosalie said nonchalantly, tossing her hair behind her shoulder. "I couldn't figure out what she'd done to trap you into proposing to her."

A myriad of emotions went across Edward's face, anger being the most prevalent. "That would be a little hard for her to be, seeing as how she's still a virgin, Rose." Thankfully my hands were still close to my face, allowing me to hide behind them as I groaned my mortification.

"Are we planning on telling everyone that?" I shot out. "Why don't you just add it to the company newsletter? In the 'Who's Making News' feature? I can see the headline now, 'Bella Swan Still a Virgin at Twenty-four.' You can put it alongside the article of Oddities in the Workplace, or under that byline instead, along with the story of how many feet of paper it takes to load a printer."

A huff of irritation that seemed to be covering a chuckle came from Rosalie. It must have amused Edward as well, because he was laughing when he asked her to leave my room, which she did with a barely contained smile. The tantalizing smell of eggs, mixed with the even more alluring smell of Edward sat down beside me. "Remind me to never give you an entire pill again," he chuckled. "I had no idea you would drool into your food."

"I did no such thing!" I retorted, even as I was forced to swallow at the rich smells coming from beside me. My stomach informed me that I had run out of the house without breakfast the previous day, worked through lunch, and then been drugged a few bites into dinner. It was growling loudly now, complaining that it was quite empty. Edward offered me the plate with a smile when he heard the sound, chuckling when my complaint that it was hot didn't stop me from shoveling the food in.

When it was all gone, I managed to refrain from licking the plate, but mostly because he took it from me to set on my dresser before returning to my side. I had lain back down, remembering that he had said he was calling my boss for me, and closed my eyes. It was quiet in the room for a moment, but then the bed dipped and his entire body pressed into the side of mine, an arm draping over my waist.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, pushing away from him, and wincing as my bad ankle had pressure applied to it.

"Your mom is peeking into the room," he whispered into my ear, grabbing me and pulling me hard against his body. "I'm giving her a show."

"You can't do that!" I complained, but he just grabbed my left hand, lifting it up to show me the ring once more.

"This says I can," he hissed back. "Besides, we have to make this believable. And I need to talk to you. We have another problem."

Settling down, but remaining rigid by his side, I looked at him in fear. "What now?"

"Well, you were supposed to get a promotion, but now that your mom has blown our cover, it might look like favoritism," he told me, whispering it into my ear as his lips trailed across the shell of it. "Instead, my dad is trying to transfer you to another department so you aren't under me." His chuckle against my skin were like flashes of heat on my skin. "At least, you aren't under me on an organization chart. He expects you to be under me in bed."

For a minute I was really excited, and not sexually. "I'm getting a promotion?" He nodded with a smile, but the smile faded as mine did. "What do you mean, 'blown our cover'?"

* * *

Don't hate Rosalie, she's just very protective of her family. Her opinion of Bella went up immensely when she back-talked Edward, it showed she was being herself, and not necessarily putting on an act. LOL, little does Rosalie know...

I know this probably wasn't the dinner scene you envisioned, but it was what was in my head. I just laughed at the thought of meeting the future in-laws, wanting to impress, only to be drugged (and yes, I react that way to Lortab! Whatever the doctor prescribes me, I only take half).


	28. Chapter 28 Laugh

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Laugh  
**Dialogue Flex**: "Did you do this?" he asked.

* * *

Going back to work was interesting. Not only was I on crutches but sporting a new, gorgeous, huge ring. News of our engagement had spread like wildfire, egged on by Miss Stanley's article, which seemed to be on display in every cubicle I hobbled past. Everyone was shocked to varying degrees. A few girls nodded appreciatively, putting out a fist to bump and saying, "You go, girl!" I wasn't sure where I was supposed to go, but I bumped them back with a wan smile.

No sooner had I made it to my chair and turned on my computer than Alice Cullen bounced down on my desk, startling me. If everyone wasn't paying attention to me before, they were after hearing the scream I let out. Holding my hand over my heart I wheezed out, "Hi, Alice."

"Sorry," she chirped, "but I did try to get your attention earlier. We need to plan your wedding!" My stomach tied itself into knots as I looked up at her, not knowing what to say. I had planned on talking about the wedding yesterday with Edward, how we could put this off, but my mother had been more interested in if it could be arranged during her husband Phil's off-season, which started in three weeks.

"I talked to your mom this morning and she told me that you wanted to get married in just another month. That gives us four weeks to choose a location, pick a caterer, get you a dress, get a cake, …"

"Alice?" I tried to interrupt as she continued ticking each item off on her fingers.

"Choose your bridesmaids, get them dresses, pick out colors, pick and send out invitations…"

"Um, Alice?" I tried again, a little louder this time.

"You'll need a band, or would you prefer a string quartet? I guess you could use a DJ, but it's just not that classy. Plus we need to schedule your bridal shower, bachelorette party…"

"Alice!" I shouted, very close to hitting her with one of my crutches, but even that didn't get her attention.

"She's at work, Alice, you'll have to deal with this later," Edward's smooth voice cut across his sister as he smiled at me. Leaning over he trailed his fingers down the side of my face. "Hey, honey," he whispered.

"At least give me a date to work with," Alice whined, causing Edward to laugh.

"You have four weeks from Friday," he told her, making me begin to cough.

"Four weeks?" Alice and I said at the same time, in much the same tone, but for completely different reasons.

"Sure, why wait any longer? Don't you think we've waited long enough?" he asked, kneeling by my side.

"Fine," she huffed as I did my best imitation of a guppy again. Turning to me she asked, "Any requests?"

"Navy blue and silver," Edward said, making me remember my dress from the Christmas party. Then he chuckled, "And put her in flats, please. Do you care about anything else, love?" For a half a second I considered telling him 'not getting married' but decided it was a bad idea, so just shook my head.

"So, I have free rein then?" Alice asked, and we both nodded. "Good, I'll see you this afternoon with invitation samples," she added as she jumped off my desk.

"Edward," I hissed, about to ask him just how far he planned to go with this but he cut me off by greeting my boss.

"Hello Bob," he said while extending his hand. "You wanted to see me about something?"

"Did you do this?" he asked, holding out a file.

"I had to, sorry," Edward said.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"I appreciate the situation, but I doubt most will realize it's even a problem," Bob said over me.

"It's about appearances. How would it look if she stayed where she was?"

"Wait, are you two talking about me?" I asked, wondering what was in the file.

"But she's one of the best employees I have," Bob argued. "Her promotion has nothing to do with her relationship with you. I had no knowledge of it."

"What are you two saying?" I asked, my voice rising.

"I know that, you know that, but how does it look? We announce our engagement and she suddenly gets promoted. You know it's bad. A job change is the only way. Mike is really excited to get her."

"Mike?" I screeched. "You're moving me to work under Mike?" Mike was in charge of the final edit of the books. As his employee I would have to do a quick scan, checking for any errors in the first printing, and do it quickly. The entire department was always stressed. I much preferred my current job where I could leisurely read through whatever came across my desk.

"It's only temporary," Edward said, finally talking to me.

"It's not the only thing that's temporary," I hissed back, surprising Bob with my vehemence.

"True, after we're married you don't have to work anymore if you don't want to," he replied calmly. His eyes danced, as if daring me to argue with him. He didn't know me very well.

My eyes narrowed as I slowly rose, using a crutch and my desk to help me up. "Edward Cullen, did you change my job without consulting me?"

He started to back up. "I told you yesterday you were getting a promotion, that it entails a job change." His demeanor told me he knew he had been withholding information.

"I like working for Bob," I said, advancing on him. Granted it was slowly, involved crutches and a great deal of limping, but I tried to look menacing.

"But Bob works for John, who works for Peter, who works for me. This means you work for me, which means we are in violation of the non-fraternization policy." He had backed up into the hallway created by the cubicles, looking worried.

"I understand that, but you decided to change my job without discussing with me where I was going to go!" I was definitely upset by now. The only thing that kept me from attacking Edward was Bob laughing behind me.

"Edward? A little advice from a man who's been married for twenty years, don't make unilateral decisions without consulting the wife." His words were met with applause from the girls around us and grunts of agreement from the married guys, the unmarried ones just laughed.

Edward changed tactic. Instead of retreating he started to advance. "Why don't we discuss this in my office?" he crooned. "It is work related, after all."

I started backing up. It was hard for a normal person to do on a crutch without falling over. It was impossible for me. No sooner did I take my second step than I tripped over air and started to go flying. By this time, though, Edward was close enough to catch me, literally sweeping me off my feet. Thankfully he was aware of our audience enough to just set me on my desk. "Bella, I'm sorry, but we've let this go on long enough and now it's going to be a problem."

He was being sincere now, reasoning with me, but at least talking to me. "I know I can't work for Bob, as much as I'd like to, but I don't want to work for Mike," I whispered, not wanting the others to overhear. "Isn't there someone else?"

"Not and get a raise, which you deserve by the way. Your promotion never came across my desk, so I only found out yesterday when my dad called to ask me about it, but it still looks bad, and I had to move fast." He ran his hand through his hair, messing it up even more than usual.

I ran my hands up his arms. "I don't like working in Mike's department, I don't like the job. Do I have to go somewhere I'm not going to be happy?"

His eyes widened, then narrowed, then closed in defeat. "No, that's not fair to you." He opened his eyes again to stare deeply into my own. "Believe me, I want you to be happy."

* * *

I'm lucky, most of my bosses have been wonderful people I have loved working for. My current boss is almost my personality doppleganger. We have a great time together.


	29. Chapter 29 Longing

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Longing  
**Plot Generator – Phrase Catch**: "Pearls of wisdom"

* * *

"Let's go to my office, I'll call in HR and see what we can do," Edward said, running his hand through his hair again. "Bob? Would you come with us? You can speak to Bella's strengths to help make the best decision." When he nodded Edward turned to me and smiled. "Would you like to hobble on the crutches or have me carry you?"

"You're not carrying me in front of everyone," I said, rolling my eyes and reaching for my crutches. Edward waved me forward, saying he wanted to catch me if I fell. Bob chuckled and fell behind him as we wove through the cubicles, me feeling like a mother hen with her chicks following.

It was a long ride to the seventh floor. Once again I stopped on every floor, this time the people getting on looked at Edward before me, then over to my boss, obviously curious but not saying anything. After taking us in they just turned to face the elevator doors, waiting for them to open, only to exit without looking back. It was impossible to know the look on Edward's face.

Seeing Mrs. Cope's smiling face when the doors opened on the seventh floor helped calm my nerves about what was coming. "Please call Angela, and ask her to come to my office?" he asked pleasantly, getting a smiling nod in reply. "Bella, love?" he said, reaching his hand out to me, resting it lightly on my arm as he encouraged me forward.

The meeting that took up until lunch was interesting. Sitting in a room while your boss discussed your strengths and weaknesses, some of each you'd never heard before, can be both demoralizing and encouraging. After a few hours of them discussing the different job openings I would qualify for and be good at, on occasion taking input from me to see if there was any interest, it was decided I would replace Mrs. Cope. She was planning on retiring at the end of the year. Edward was thrilled. Today my desk would be cleaned out, my new duties started tomorrow.

After excusing the others from the room, he grinned at me over his desk, leaning forward in his excitement. "You know what this means, Bella?"

"No," I laughed. It was impossible not to pick up on his excitement. "Especially since it seems I'm still working for you."

"No, my love," he said, shaking his head as he rose. Walking around his desk and holding out his hand for mine he knelt beside me. "You'll be working with me, but for my dad."

"Isn't that still in violation of the policy?" I asked, leaning back in my chair as he leaned forward.

He shrugged, leaning forward, encroaching on my personal space. "It's a family company, some nepotism will happen. The difference is that I can't influence your bosses." He smirked, "Well, I can't pull rank on him anyway."

My back pressed into the chair as he advanced. "So, now what do we do? Bob is reassigning all my work, so I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day."

"Well, I'm longing to get to know my future wife better." If his fingers pushed my skirt any higher he was going to meet more of me than I was ready for. My hands grabbed his wrists to stop their motion, getting me a smirk. "You really are inexperienced, aren't you?" he asked. "You're about to marry me, don't you think we should try out all the aspects of our life together?"

"In your office?" I hissed, pushing his hands down.

"You didn't say no," he crooned as he started pulling on my thighs.

"Why are you doing this?" My breathing was starting to pick up as his fingers burned my skin, setting fire to the blood in my veins.

"Isn't it obvious?" he asked, leaning in closer so his lips were ghosting over my stomach.

"I meant the marriage," I panted. This stopped him. Moving back to sit on his heels he just looked at me for a moment.

"Arranged marriages have happened throughout the history of man. Some have been quite happy. From what I've seen, it's more about commitment than love or lust." He looked down at the floor, blushing slightly before he continued. "I got out your personnel file, and looked at your personality profile. We're actually quite good matches. You're smart, a quick thinker, and really quite pretty. I could look for years and not find someone else who matches me as well. I'm committed, everything I've heard about you says you stick things out. We could make this work. I don't know about you, but the lust part is definitely coming into play."

"Don't you want love?" I whispered, still holding on to that romantic notion.

"Love grows, or fades, depending on what life throws at you." He rose up on his knees and pulled me forward in the chair. "Anna Louise Strong said, 'To fall in love is easy, even to remain in it is not difficult; our human loneliness is cause enough. But it is a hard quest worth making to find a comrade through whose steady presence one becomes steadily the person one desires to be.' Together we can become that for each other."

"Such pearls of wisdom," I sighed. "And you think it'll only take commitment?"

With a smile he got to his feet and pulled me to mine. Turning us around he sat in the chair and pulled me onto his lap. "I just thought of another benefit of you taking over for Mrs. Cope. You can take dictation on my knee." His hand move to my knee as he said that, slipping under the hem of my dress and gripping the bottom of my thigh as if it could keep it from travelling any higher.

"I doubt she ever took dictation like this," I giggled as he pulled me against his chest so that my head ended up on his shoulder.

"I've got a special memo for just you," he answered, pressing his lips to mine.

* * *

I am friends with an Islamic couple who met on their wedding day and are blissfully happy, even twenty years after marrying. Granted, her brothers worked very hard to find a guy she would be happy with, and made sure to meet him before arranging the match. She does point out sometimes that she's Indian and he's Pakistani, and border clashes do occur (LOL!), but they always work through them. Their love for and devotion to each other is obvious.

I'm lucky enough to be married to a guy who makes me want to be a better person, simply because he deserves it.


	30. Chapter 30 Heart

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Heart

* * *

There's just something about kissing Edward. For all that I didn't know him very well, no one else had ever made me not care where I was and what I should be doing. Then again, it could just be oxygen deprivation. At this moment my lungs were screaming for air, but I was diligently ignoring them. Actually it wasn't that difficult, between Edward's thumb rubbing on the inside of my knee and his tongue gently exploring my mouth. What I should have been doing is remembering where I was and who could walk in on us.

The sound of a door slamming, making the walls vibrate with the force of it hitting the frame, broke us from our current activity. There stood Carlisle, obviously trying to rein in his frustration. Glancing back to Edward revealed that he was looking sheepish. I tried to scramble off of Edward's lap, but he held me firm.

"She's trying to have a modicum of decorum, Edward," Carlisle said quietly. "You should let her."

"I know, I just don't think it's a good idea for her to move just yet." Carlisle coughed and nodded, walking to the empty chair that my old boss had been sitting in. That was when it hit me. Carlisle is my new boss, and I'm making out with his son on company time. With renewed vigor I tried to jump from Edward's lap again, only to have him hold me in a vise-like grip and growl, "Please stop squirming, Bella. It's not helping."

"Not helping what?" I asked, only to see both men shake their head. Carlisle was a little surprised by my answer, but Edward laughed.

"Sometimes I forget how innocent you are," he said, pressing a kiss to my hand after lifting it up.

"I think I should get off your lap as I talk to my new boss," I pointed out, pulling my hand back and a bit miffed by his comment. Granted my face was heating after figuring out, finally, what it was that my movement wasn't helping.

Carlisle's laugh surprised me. "Trust me, Bella, you and Edward are tame. Not that I approve of what you were doing where anyone could walk in," he added, remonstrance strong in his voice, "but after dealing with Emmett and Rosalie this is nothing." He gave a small shudder before turning his attention back to us. "Alice tells me you've set the date. I was wondering why it was going to be so, um, fast, but I'm guessing you're just anxious?"

"You could say that, dad." He ran a hand through his hair, then gave me a little push, indicating that it was safe to stand now. Once I was off his lap he went around his desk, grabbed his chair, and brought it back over so we could sit more appropriately. After settling in his seat he reached for my hand before talking to his dad. "So, was that what brings you by?"

"That, and to offer to pay for the wedding," he said, winking at me. "I know you gave Alice carte blanche, but I doubt Bella was ready to spend a hundred dollars a head on the wedding breakfast. If she invites everyone she invited to her own, that alone will cost you over ten thousand dollars."

My heart sank down past my knees as my windpipe closed off. "Ten thousand dollars?" I managed to squeak out. "Just for one meal?" Then it hit me, the list of things she had gone on about. A string quartet, how much were those? Flowers, a dress, a cake, how much would this cost? I began to shake my head at the enormity of it all. "I'm not doing this, I can't keep this up," I said. Edward was immediately in front of me, holding my face.

"Breathe Bella, it's all right," he said, looking very concerned.

"It's too much money."

"I'll call her, we can have it smaller," he urged, trying to calm me. "Why are you upset by this? Dad just offered to cover it, and if you don't want that, I can pay for it."

"Why? Why pay for any of it?" I asked, wondering again why we were even continuing this charade.

"Um, Bella, I think my family would be upset if we eloped," he said, his eyes glancing to his father. Carlisle was quietly rising, making to leave. I had completely forgotten he was here.

"Oh! Carlisle, I'm sorry," I cried softly. "I'm being terribly rude. It's just, um, I'm not used to having anyone pay for anything for me. It's not how I was raised, but I completely didn't think of the cost of the wedding. Everything is just moving so fast now."

He edged toward the door. "I'll let you discuss this with Edward. While I completely understand your hesitance, I want you to know it's no problem for us. We just want you to be happy." Opening the door he paused. "I look forward to working with you, Bella. Know this offer isn't meant as a slight, it comes from Esme and my heart."

After the door shut I buried my face in my hands. "I'm so awful! I'm rude to your dad when he was being nice, I haven't even _told _my dad." Sitting up quickly I looked at Edward as a feeling of horror came over me. "My dad doesn't know!" How was I going to tell my dad about my fake engagement to my fake fiancé? "I'm such a horrible daughter," I told Edward, feeling the weight of our lies crash in on me. It was one thing to pull the wool over my mother's eyes, but I never lied to my dad. "I don't know what I'm thinking. How can we pull this off? None of this is real. He's a cop, he can tell. Do you own a bullet proof vest, because I have no idea what he might do. Why are you continuing with this charade? Why even marry me? I'm a horrible person!"

Edward's face went from panic, to worry and now was filled with amusement. "Are you done?" When I nodded mutely he chuckled again. "First, no, I don't have a bullet proof vest, but we can go see him this weekend. Second, this doesn't feel real to you?" He asked the question while cupping my face with one hand, the other slid down my neck, over my chest and rested between my breast where my heart was now pounding. "Because it feels real to me. Like I said, I think we can make it. Third, you aren't a horrible person. You are beautiful, smart, funny and kind."

The hand that had been over my heart joined the one that had been cupping my face in sliding down my arms. "Last, is it really that hard for you to have my dad pay for this? Because I can easily afford it if you'd rather. He was just offering it as a wedding present."

"I don't want your money, Edward," I said. "I'm the one who has caused all this, I should pay for it." My face blanched at the prospect. "It's just that I don't have even close to that much." Then another thought occurred to me. "Oh, crap, and I was saving up to take a cruise. I guess that won't be happening."

"Bella, it's our money. After lunch why don't we go to the bank and get your name on my accounts?" He smirked then, nudging aside one of my legs so he was between them he pulled me forward with his hands on my hips until I was flush against his body. "And as for the cruise, there's always the honeymoon." My eyes shot wide as he chuckled again, this time holding me close and pulling my lips to his.

Once again I forgot to care about important things, like locking Edward's door. Naturally Alice would pick that moment to come crashing in, waving samples for me to choose from and asking who I wanted to add to the guest list.

* * *

I completely forgot to update yesterday! Sorry! This was ready to go even. Well, I guess you'll just get two now. I hope you don't mind.


	31. Chapter 31 Chronology

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Chronology

* * *

The sheer volume of details Alice could work out in just a few hours was mind-boggling. She had managed to secure appointments for us to tour five reception halls on Saturday, followed by taste testing at three different caterers and seven bakeries. There were even four string quartets available on the day Edward had picked, and she had written down when each were performing so we could check them out.

She had come in, telling us to stop playing and come to the desk, where she had laid out ten blue and silver invitation examples for us to pick from. Edward and I had kept glancing at each other, not wanting to choose one the other didn't like. Apparently Alice is very perceptive as well, because she stole Edward's sticky notes, labeled each one with a number, then handed us each a piece of paper and told us to write down our first, second and third choice. We were both relieved when they were the same.

By this time my stomach was rumbling, and Edward was getting a little cranky. "Fine, fine, go eat!" Alice said, throwing her hands up in frustration. "Bella, I hope you keep him well fed, because he turns into a bear when he's hungry." I giggled a bit, already realizing it was probably true. All the men I knew had been the same way, after all.

"Now I need you to pay particular attention to this," Alice continued, spreading out a large piece of paper while dancing away from her brother. "This is the chronology I need to have decisions made by, what the decision is and what your choices are given the parameters you gave me earlier."

"Because giving you free rein wasn't enough?" Edward teased.

"I know what you like," she shot back, sticking out her tongue, "it's Bella's opinions I need to learn. But, I admit I did assume she would like similar things so it is limited to that." She fixed me with a look. "If you don't like anything here, just say. None of this is written in stone, I'm only going from what I know of Edward."

Besides being completely overwhelmed now I was also feeling like I really shouldn't ask for anything because he and his father were the ones wasting their money on this charade. Granted, I planned on marrying him, if he wanted to follow through, and would try to make this work, but pretending like we were madly in love? Wasting good money on a pretense?

Looking up I caught Edward's eye. "We'll only get married once," he whispered, "which means it should be whatever you've dreamed of as much as anything I want."

Alice caught onto our mood and, clasping her hands behind her back, walked over to closely examine a painting I'm sure she'd seen a hundred times before while whistling. "It just seems…" I started, but was cut off but an annoyed Edward.

"Bella, it's your wedding too." He stepped closer, holding onto my shoulders as he leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Have fun with this, please? Think about what you really want? Remember, we picked the same invitations, you just might find something I like that Alice hasn't, so don't be afraid to speak up and get exactly what you want." Then he chuckled, "Even if it's an airline ticket to Vegas to elope."

"Don't you dare!" Alice cried from across the room.

"I thought you weren't listening," Edward said, faking a glare.

"Right, like you thought I wouldn't listen." She danced back over and picked up the massive list she had set down earlier. "Now, as your date tonight you can go and see two of the string quartets, since they're both performing at the symphony. Tomorrow night the third one is playing, which is good because you'll probably be comatose from tasting all the wedding cake samples tomorrow afternoon. I'll need you both at my place by seven in the morning to go to the caterers, so don't eat a lot tonight for dinner."

"Is she always this pushy?" I asked Edward quietly.

He moaned loudly. "You have no idea. In all fairness, though, party planning is what she does for a living, and she has the best contacts, so we really are getting the best."

"When are we going to see my dad?" I asked, my fingers trailing idly through some fabric swatches that were apparently for the bridesmaids.

"Alice, are we free on Sunday?" Edward asked, his tone just this side of mocking.

"I suppose, if you manage to choose a caterer, baker and florist tomorrow, you can have some time to visit her father."

"That's very nice of you Alice," Edward quipped, now fully mocking. "Especially considering he hasn't given his consent yet, so all of this could be moot. And your list says the florist is on Monday."

"Don't make me hurt you, Edward. If you want this nice you have to do as you're told." It was impossible to not burst out laughing at that, even Edward smiled. My stomach rumbled loudly then, making them both look at me and laugh. "Take her and feed her before she falls over. I'll see you tomorrow. Bella, take the list."

Ten minutes later, the list tucked safely in my purse and me tucked safely in the seat of Edward's car, we were finally heading toward food. Pursuit to Alice's instructions, I was planning on having a salad and was happy when we pulled up to my favorite place. "Still hungry?" Edward asked. My stomach answered for him. What it couldn't answer was the phone ringing in my purse.

Pulling it out I noticed my dad's name on the display. "Hey dad! What's new?" I asked, having mixed feelings over talking to him. I loved my dad, he was the calm in the storm and my rock through life.

"Talked to your mother today," he said. If I had thought I was dead before, now I was sure.

* * *

My sweet baboo becomes a grumpy bear when he's hungry. Sometimes when he's upset over something I ask when he last ate. He hates it when I do that, but it usually is what the real problem is.


	32. Chapter 32 Dawn

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Dawn  
**Dialogue Flex**: "It's a new beginning," he said.

* * *

"We're coming to see you on Sunday, dad," I said, knowing this had upset my father.

"I'm just wondering why it's taken so long. I understood you not saying anything while you were dating, you're like me in that, but once you got engaged I figured I'd meet him." His answer cut me, mostly because he sounded even more hurt than I expected.

Then something he said registered. "How long have you known?"

"Bells, just because your mom and I aren't married anymore doesn't mean we don't talk. You know we stayed friends, because you are important to us. I've known since you started dating him." So much for thinking my mom could keep a secret. Then again, expecting her to keep something about me from my dad was probably a ridiculous expectation.

"I'm sorry dad," I said, glancing at Edward who looked at me sympathetically.

"I'll wait for you inside," Edward whispered. Getting a nod from me he left me in the car to get us a table.

"Was that him?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah," I sighed, watching Edward walk away from me. Just before opening the door he turned back and smiled.

"Are you guys doing something?"

"We were going in to lunch." Heaving a sigh I continued, "His sister, it turns out, is a party planner and has given us a schedule for figuring everything out in order to have the wedding when we picked. Today and tomorrow are just crazy, but I insisted on having Sunday to come see you."

"I guess that'll have to do." He paused for a moment, then gave a little chuckle. "You could always elope like your mom and me."

"Don't think it hadn't crossed my mind," I growled.

Charlie laughed freely. "Right, because you're such a party girl." Silence followed again, neither of us quite knowing what to say. Finally he broke it. "Go in to lunch, I'll see you on Sunday. What time will you start up?"

"Probably around dawn. We're both used to being up then, so we'll make it for lunch." He grunted his understanding, but now with an expected time to see each other there was nothing left to say. We both preferred to communicate in person. After a minute or so I bid him goodbye, with a promise that we'd see him Sunday again.

My feet dragged as I headed into the restaurant. It was one of my favorite places, and as my pay had increased I had been able to come here more often. They had the best grilled chicken ceasar salad I'd ever eaten. Despite how hungry I had been, right now I seriously doubted I could eat anything.

"Ma'am?" a younger woman said, reaching out to touch my arm. "Are you Bella? Mr. Cullen asked me to show you where he was sitting." Nodding I followed her to the back of the restaurant, past where most of the people were seated, to a table where no one was seated nearby. As she saw me to my seat she asked if there was anything I'd like to drink.

"Coke, please," I said, scooting into the seat across from Edward. When she left I placed my forehead on the table. "I'm a horrible daughter," I moaned, feeling like a broken record.

"You're not horrible, you're just getting caught up in a lie," he said soothingly. His hand started to smooth over my hair, his touch strangely calming and enticing at the same time. All I wanted to do was crawl back into his lap. "I might add you're a horrible liar," he chuckled. "You may want to give it up as a lost cause."

My eyes rolled so far it made him laugh. "I never lie, I know I'm horrible at it, that's why my mom believed me." Sighing heavily I started to rub my eyes, feeling suddenly tired. "I swear, I'm never going to lie again."

"It's a new beginning," he said, continuing to run his fingers through my hair. After a minute he surprised me. "Wanna really tick Alice off?"

"How?"

"Let's go see your dad. Can't say I really care which quartet she books, if she likes them it's a safe bet that they're all good. We can be there long before dinner. I have to make things up to him anyway." Lifting my head up from my palms I looked him in the eye, seeing he was serious. "We can just eat and head on out." For the first time since my mother's arrival I felt like truly smiling.

Four hours later I was worried if Edward owned a flack jacket. We were parked outside of the small police department building. My dad's cruiser was parked out front, along with whoever else was on duty today. Apparently they didn't feel the need to have a speed trap, which is just as well as I'm sure Edward's license would have been taken away.

"Are you ready for this? My dad is a cop, with a gun, and upset." Edward just laughed and got out of the car, quickly coming around to open my door for me.

"I'm much more concerned about facing Alice tomorrow, to be honest. Dad's love me." He took my hand and pulled me close, twisting the hand he held behind my back to force me even closer. Leaning down he brushed his lips over mine, setting alight the lust that always burned whenever his eyes looked that certain way. "Besides, I'm planning on telling him it was all your idea. I wanted to meet him, but you wanted to wait."

"You are evil," I barely breathed out, reaching for his lips, wanting to get a real kiss.

"Oh my Bella, you have no idea," he hoarsely whispered before capturing my lips and leaning me back against the car. His hand let go of mine and traveled down my side, over my hip to cup my thigh. I wasn't sure if he remembered it was my sore ankle, but when he lifted it, using the weight of his body to keep me up, the feeling of his suit rubbing on the inside of my leg made me wish we were completely alone.

Freed, my hand wove forward and around his waist, fisting a handful of material to pull him even closer. Time and place faded away as I lost myself in the sensations of his touch, all I cared about was more. Well, until the unmistakable sound of a shotgun being cocked could be heard in the direction of my father's place of employment.

Naturally I jumped, banging Edward in the nose with my chin and making him have to catch me so I didn't fall over. Thankfully he was fast, and his hands were already on my legs and his body was still pushing into mine, otherwise we would both be on the ground. Looking over Edward's shoulder I could see a laughing Deputy Mark making some comment to my father. Charlie looked both amused and pissed. When I looked back to Edward he was grinning ear to ear. "You look like you want my father to shoot you," I hissed.

"No, what I wanted was for him to see how serious we were. He'll be more receptive to a quick wedding if we have trouble keeping our hands off each other." My head shook at his idea, thinking he must be insane. Although, he was right, after that display my father may use the shotgun to force the wedding, not prevent it.

* * *

More Charlie later! Baboo has the shotgun app on his phone and shared it with our younger daughter the night of her first date, explaining that a real gun could be bought. She rolled her eyes at him and begged him to just not call the chief of police (a friend of ours) to have them followed. I pointed out to her that she might not have wanted to give her father the idea.


	33. Chapter 33 First

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: First

* * *

The first thing my dad did when we reached him was grab me into a hug, turning slightly to pull me away from Edward. "I've really missed you, Bells. You should call more often."

Hugging him back just as hard I teased, "Phone lines go both ways."

"How do you expect me to keep up my macho façade if I keep calling my baby?" he said with a laugh, his eyes crinkling with amusement. I knew the people in town respected him; he was the quiet, solid, stalwart strength in our community. The mayor and city council came and went with elections, but they all kept Charlie.

"Just keep wearing plaid off duty and don't shave the moustache, you'll be fine," I teased back, getting him to roll his eyes. Mark chuckled behind him, starting to cough from his attempt to hold his laughter in.

His eye roll made him catch sight of Edward again. He was leaning on the railing of the porch surrounding the police station, arms crossed and the picture of patience and composure. "You must be Edward," Charlie said, reluctantly putting out his hand. "I guess you've stolen my little girl's heart from me?"

Reaching out his hand Edward replied, "Hopefully I've just opened it up more. It's nice to finally meet you, Chief Swan."

"Finally?" dad asked, grasping Edward's hand firmly and indicating with his head to walk into the station.

"I've wanted to for a while, but Bella was sure you didn't know, and didn't want any rumors to start." The traitor looked back at me and winked. "Now that everything's out in the open, though, she couldn't wait."

"You didn't have to come up, it could have been through a phone call. I'm not the gossiping type," dad continued, frowning slightly at me as I trailed behind them. Mark was behind me, probably to make sure I didn't try to escape. Then again, I had left my crutches in the car and was hobbling on my ankle, so he might be there to catch me when I fall.

"If it makes you feel better, my dad only found out yesterday, and that was only because he was there when I met Renee." Edward relaxed into the chair Charlie waved him to. It sat alone, as if this was going to be an interrogation, the next closest being around by Mark's desk. The only thing missing was the bright light overhead and the handcuffs. Still, Edward acted as if it was all perfectly natural, crossing his legs, resting his hands on his knees, the picture of ease. Of course, that was when the questioning began.

Charlie started out easy, asking about his job and family. Then he progressed to education, work history, past girlfriends and love life. I would have tried to rescue Edward, but after ratting me out like he did I just smiled and leaned back in my chair. It was a bad idea, because when Charlie asked the number of girls Edward had slept with and if I needed to worry about any sexually transmitted diseases, I fell backward in shock.

Rushing to my side Edward gently picked me up, checking my head for injuries before going to my ankle to see if I had hurt it. "Did you wound anything else?" he asked, concern lacing his voice and eyes.

"Nothing but my pride," I muttered. Charlie chuckled as Edward heaved a relieved sigh. "Dad, I don't think you need to question Edward on his sex life," I grumbled, ready for the highly embarrassing inquisition to be over. "I'm sure he's clean." My face could probably be used as a signal to incoming planes right now, it was burning so hot. Santa could use me to replace Rudolph.

Edward's chuckle was surprising. "I wondered how long you were going to make me suffer," he whispered into my ear as he helped me up. "And for your information, the number is two, and yes, I'm clean." Charlie was trying to hear what Edward was saying so missed that I blanched at Edward's answer. Edward didn't. Sighing he pulled me aside, "We'll talk on the way home?" It wasn't a conversation I wanted to have, but knew it was important, so nodded.

Before my dad could start in with anymore embarrassing questions, Edward started in. "So, Bella tells me you like to fish? Do you fly fish or are you more of a bait and tackle man?" The evening devolved from there. It scared me how much Edward knew about fishing, arguing tide charts and moon phases over prime rib at the Lodge. At times the discussion became quite animated over whether or not adding meal worms to a lure meant it was a bad lure or not. It was then I decided the wedding was off. So much for discussing sexual history, I didn't need to know.

When we finally bid my father farewell, him squeezing me tight and whispering that Edward had passed muster, I tiredly climbed into the car. Edward insisted on putting my seat all the way back and bumming a pillow off of my dad so I could elevate my foot on his dashboard on the way home. Charlie loved that. I didn't point out that it made my pencil skirt ride up, but considering the way Edward ran his hand up my leg when dad's back was turned I was sure he had noticed.

By the time we reached highway one-oh-one, the silence was more than Edward could take. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked timidly as the car reached speeds I thought reserved for the salt flats.

"Nope, we're not getting married, so it doesn't matter." A flash of something crossed his face. It could have been pain, or fear, it was difficult to tell.

"Because I made two mistakes?" he asked. I was pretty sure the steering wheel creaked from the death grip he had on it.

"No, because you talk about fishing, with my dad, like someone who knows how! I hate fishing, Edward. I hate it so much that for years I refused to even visit my dad for fear that he might insist I go with him again." Edward's relieved chuckling started as blood returned to his knuckles, but I wasn't done. "This will never work out if we don't like doing the same things, Edward, and you know it. Now, I'm not the type of person who expects you to only do things I like, and it would be unfair to have you not do something you like."

"Bella," he said, interrupting, but I wasn't to be deterred.

"I suppose you could go with my dad, it would keep me from having to go, but then what would I do all day? Hmm, that's a pretty selfish thought, but probably just another reason in the long list of reasons why you shouldn't marry me."

"Bella," he called, a bit louder. His laughing seemed to be a problem with his driving.

"I used to like eating fish, until I lived with my dad. Do you have any idea how sick I got of it? There are only so many ways to prepare it, too, and I simply can't tolerate my place reeking of old fish anymore. It's hideous! AAAHHH!"

The last was screamed loudly as Edward suddenly swerved to the side of the road, tires squealing as he slammed on the brakes. We finally came to a stop on the shoulder, but Edward was still in motion. No sooner did the tires stop than his seatbelt was off and he was out of the car. I have no idea how he got to my side of the car as fast as he did, it was like he flew over the hood before wrenching my door open and slamming his lips down on mine.

Sounds of shock and struggle escaped as I attempted to push him off of me, but he just grabbed my hands and pinned them over my head against the headrest. Pushing with his hip he moved me in the seat just enough to perch on the edge beside me, his lips never leaving mine.

Pretty soon all fight went out of me. Oxygen deprivation had set in again, not that I really cared. Naturally he would pick that moment to stop kissing me and instead leaned his forehead against mine. "I don't like to fish, Bella," he said, panting. Seems he was having trouble getting enough air as well. "I do like to eat it, but if you don't want to cook it, I don't care."

"Then why?" I started, but my lips were stilled, or at least silenced, by the pressure of his against them.

"Remember I told you I read your file?" he asked. This time I had enough sense to just nod. If I had been smart, though, I would have said something. Oxygen is a highly overrated substance in comparison to being kissed by him. "It says that Charles Swan was your emergency contact, so I googled him. There were a few articles about him fishing, so I googled that and learned all I could in order to impress him."

For a moment I just stared at him. "You lied?" I asked, my voice going up about an octave. He nodded tentatively. "But you were so good at it!" He just shrugged. "You do realize that he's going to expect you to go with him, right?"

"I'll get out of it somehow," he laughed. My hands were still trapped in his above my head. Noticing the situation he smirked. "I seem to have you in a rather nice position, Miss Swan."

"And what do you plan to do about it?" I asked, just as his phone rang.

"Hold that thought," he said, pointing the finger of his other hand at me. Reaching into his shirt pocket he pulled out the phone and looked at the display. "Oh, crap, we're in trouble!" he said before flipping it open. "Hello, Alice!"

There was a string of something said so fast my ears couldn't keep up. Judging from the look on Edward's face I didn't want to.

* * *

My brother's first wife had a baby when he met her. My dear grandmother actually asked her if she had been tested for AIDS! And, I've cooked fish once in my house because my oldest boy caught a couple and wanted to eat them. From then on they were banished to the grill. That said, I do love to fish, but I was a proponent of the 'catch and release' policy long before it became popular because I really don't care for the smell or taste.


	34. Chapter 34 Genesis

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Genesis

* * *

After allowing his sister to rant for a few minutes, Edward gave me a wink and answered her cheekily. "Just pick a quartet Alice, we don't care. In fact, I'm pretty sure Bella doesn't care if they're even there. Just make sure they can play something we can dance to." She said something else and Edward's eyes danced with amusement. "You'll have to ask her. She's sitting here beside me, let me hand her the phone." Surely Medusa had nothing on the death glare I gave him, but he just held the phone out to me. "Payback for not rescuing me from the sex talk with your dad."

Sticking my tongue out at him I tentatively put the phone to my ear. "Hello, Alice. I'm sorry we're not following the schedule, but it was rude of me to make my dad be the last to know and then have to wait a couple more days before meeting Edward."

"I don't blame you, Bella. I'm sure my brother had something to do with it." She sighed loudly. "Do you care about your dress at all or should I just make you come to a fitting?"

"I appreciate all the work you're doing, I really do, but is it necessary?" My eyes had never left Edward's face, and when I said this that look that was a cross between disappointment and pain appeared momentarily before everything went perfectly smooth again. "Never mind, I think Edward wants it." He began to shake his head and reached for the phone again, but I twisted away from him.

"He does want it, Bella," Alice was saying as I played keep away. "Be careful, because I'm pretty sure he'll do without if that's what you want. Maybe you two should talk?"

"No, Alice, I just keep thinking of all the fuss. It's not something I'm used to." I swatted Edward's hand and tried to push on him, but he had very long arms and was quite strong. "I'm pretty sure I want a white dress, something simple and classic would be nice."

"How about a train?" she asked, all business. Edward had given up on getting the phone away and was now instead tormenting me by running his fingers up and down my arm, leaving a trail of goose-bumps in their wake.

"Only if I can tie it up so I don't trip on it," I insisted. My breathing was picking up in time to his fingers, which had now left my arm and moved to my collarbone.

"Okay, I'll call a few dress shops and see if I can get us an appointment tomorrow. We'll be cutting it close with everything else, but it'll feel more real to you when you actually put on a dress. Dad told me to send the bills to him, and asked me to tell you that he does have me on a limited budget." I didn't want to think about what a 'limited budget' was, pretty sure it was more than I made in a year, but Edward was being such a good sport, the least I could do was be the same. Then again, thinking of money as his fingers traced the neckline of my blouse was insanely difficult.

"Thanks again Alice. I hope we can spend some time together and get to know each other better soon, without all the wedding stuff in the way." Edward was staring at me intently now as his long fingers popped open the top button on my blouse.

"We'll have scads of time later," she laughed. "Are you feeling all right? You sound kind of out of breath."

His fingers found the top of my bra, lightly tracing over the lace on top. "No, I'm fine, thanks," I said, trying not to pant.

"Oh, right, Edward is right next to you. I'm going to hang up before I hear more than I want to. See you in the morning!" The phone clicked off and I carefully placed it on the console before I dropped it.

"I'm curious," Edward asked, his fingers still on their journey around the edge of my lingerie, "why the change of heart?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying not to squirm.

"You seemed to suddenly embrace the big wedding where you've been fighting it up until now. What was the genesis of the change?" His eyes dropped from mine and instead followed his fingers, which seemed to be working on another button.

"I think my dad wants to walk me down the aisle. You seem happier with the idea as well, and since I'm basically trapping you into this it's the least I can do." My hand was now tracing the line of the outside seam of his pants, feeling the toned muscle underneath.

"You aren't trapping me, I'm going into this willingly," he said quietly. "I really…"

"Think this can work. So you've said. I'm willing to try, so why fight it?" My fingers had left the safety of the seam on his pants and were now following the line of his muscle under his thigh. Shifting he pulled his hand away from me and caught mine, stopping my movement.

"It's your wedding too. It should be what you want." He was looking at my hand now, opening it palm up to trace the lines he found there.

"Didn't you hear me? All I've ever thought about is the dress, and I put in my order. Nothing else matters." Somehow his palm tracing was more erotic than the bra tracing, more intimate.

It still didn't stop me from yawning though; it had been a long, emotionally charged day. "I need to get you home," he said, standing from the seat quickly and hurrying around the car to get in on his side.

We drove for a while, this time the quiet between us was comfortable, like a warm blanket. His hand, when not shifting, held mine tenderly. As the lights of Seattle came into view my yawning increased. I knew I had to be up early to meet with Alice. I knew it was late and I needed to get some sleep. I also knew I had abandoned my mother at my apartment, although when I had called her to tell her where we were going she had said she didn't mind. But, there was still one thing I didn't know. "Edward, can I see your apartment?"

With a smile he nodded. The next thing I knew my door was opening, the little light in the car incredibly bright in the darkness. "We're here. I've called your mom and told her you were passed out in the car, and that I was just going to take you upstairs to sleep." He chuckled, "I'm not sure she believed me about the sleep part." He picked me up, only grunting slightly under my weight, and I laid my head on his shoulder, allowing my eyes to drift shut again.

The feeling of softness reaching up to me woke me again, just enough to be aware of him taking off my shoes. "Do you want your skirt off?" he asked. "I have some PJs you can use if you like." Nodding I sat up, unzipping the now tight skirt as he went to a dresser. The buttons on my blouse didn't seem to want to cooperate, and I let my hands fall to my sides as he unbuttoned it. "I'll, um, just, um, go until you're changed?"

Nodding again I waited for the sound of the door closing before shrugging off my top and skirt. For a second I contemplated my bra, but I hated sleeping in them, so that went as well. Edward's PJs were huge, necessitating me to roll up the sleeves and waist, but they covered me. A soft knock sounded as I started to do up the buttons on the top. "I'm decent," I called, figuring everything was at least covered.

"That's debatable," he said, knocking my hands aside and quickly finishing with the buttons. "I brought you some water. The bathroom is just through there where the light is," he said, pointing across the room. I was pretty sure I'd want to know that in the morning. "Is there anything else you need?" When I shook my head he chuckled. "Into bed with you then."

The sheets were incredibly comfortable as I slipped in between them. Edward pulled the blanket up under my chin and kissed my forehead. "Stay with me?" I asked, drifting off again.

"Always," was the last thing I heard.

* * *

They're getting a bit more comfortable with each other! When Edward was tormenting her he expected her to stop him. All but undressing in front of him was a whole other thing!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Here's to a man who showed us that class and intelligence trumps hatred and prejudice. May more people follow his example.


	35. Chapter 35 Inception

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Inception

* * *

Upon waking I became instantly aware of Edward behind me. His warmth was pressed against my back, an arm sleepily over my waist and his hand tucked under my top, resting on the skin of my stomach as he slept. Memories of the previous day washed over me, the passion of Edward's kisses, the relief of my father's acceptance, the worry of comparison to the other girls he'd been with, and the comfort of falling asleep in his arms. For so long I had admired him from afar, even having what I knew to be a school-girl type crush on him, but now it seemed to be morphing. The thought of not marrying him caused a pin-prick of pain in my heart.

The bed dipped and a body moved. It took me a minute to realize that it was in front of me and Edward was still behind. Opening my eyes I was met with blue ones staring at me intently. "Morning, Bella," Alice whispered with a giggle. "Don't you two look cozy?"

"Go away Alice," Edward grumbled behind me, his arm tightening and pulling me closer. "Can't you see we're still sleeping?"

"You're awake now, and we need to get moving," she said assertively, crawling off the bed. "Bella, I went to your place first and your mom told me you were here. She gave me some clothes for you, they're in the bathroom. Oh, and breakfast is in the kitchen." I was definitely going to call my mom to thank her, right after I figured out where the kitchen was.

Edward's bathroom was amazing, all clean tiles and shiny fixtures that gleamed. The shower was huge, easily fitting two people with dual showerheads. It was easy to picture him in here, the water sluicing through his hair and down his chest. I wondered if we would ever be in here together.

"Bella, you need to hurry up! Edward still needs to shower, unless you want him to come in there and scrub your back!" Alice shouted through the door, breaking me from my trance. Blushing furiously I turned on the water, not bothering to answer her since I could hear him fussing to leave me alone. Her words spurred me on to take the fastest shower in my life, though.

Dressing quickly, it was a relief to pull on jeans, a t-shirt and socks instead of the usual attire I was forced into every day, I hurried out of his bathroom and ran straight into his chest. "Hey there," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around me, "I wanted to show you where things were really fast, before anyone catches on that you haven't been here before."

He pulled me through the apartment, shrugging when I glared at him for not putting me into the guest bedroom he apparently had, ending up in the kitchen. My mom was seated at the table with Alice, nibbling on a croissant. "Your ankle seems better this morning," she said as she opened her arms for me. "Proof that some TLC never goes wrong." After a hug she pushed me to the croissants, insisting I tried the one with chocolate in it, declaring it better than sex. Cue the blush.

Edward excused himself to go clean up with a kiss on my cheek, leaving me to the tricks of the two women who were smiling at me. "Do you plan to wear the towel on your head all day?" Alice asked, "Or can I do something with it?"

"Have at it," I said, waving at my head. She exchanged a look with my mother, than shot out of the room. "Is she getting a brush?" I asked Renee, who shrugged while reaching for another croissant.

"These things are addictive," she declared, taking another bite. We chewed in silence until she swallowed. "How long have you been sleeping with him?" she asked. Unfortunately I was trying to swallow my own food and it all lodged in my throat.

"We only slept, mom," I gasped, reaching for a glass of orange juice.

"Oh, I know," she said, looking smug.

"Then why?"

"I didn't know until I saw your reaction. Must say I'm a bit surprised, if I were you I couldn't keep my hands off him. He's quite handsome." She took a sip of her coffee, winking at me. "Still, he also seems like a gentleman. When did you first meet?"

"Edward said it was at the inception of her employment," Alice said, gliding into the room, a brush in hand. I knew I looked confused as I thought back over two years ago.

I had met Bob in the lobby and was talking to him as we entered the elevator. Naturally I had tripped over the carpet, going flying until a pair of strong arms had caught me. 'Easy there,' a smooth voice had said while Bob had said, 'Thanks, Edward.' I had glanced up, blushing furiously, and seen the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on smiling at me. Edward had said, 'Take care,' when we got off, to which I had mumbled my thanks, my face lighting up again. I had seen him from time to time but not talked to him again until the Christmas party when I found out he was a Cullen.

"Oh?" my mother said in response to Alice, looking meaningfully at me.

Alice was pulling the towel from my head and starting to brush out my hair. "We didn't start talking until Christmas, mom," I said, trying to keep my head still. It was obvious my mother didn't believe me, but Edward showing up stilled her tongue. He grabbed a croissant and watched Alice work out the snarls in my hair.

We finally made it out of his apartment, me looking around surreptitiously to figure out how to get back there. The morning was spent eating. Caterer after caterer spread out their offerings before us, making me glad I hadn't eaten too much at Edward's. By the time lunch rolled around I was looking for someone to roll me out of the last appointment.

"Okay, girls to the bridal shop, Edward go to the tux shop," Alice commanded, consulting her smartphone. She had kept us on schedule all day with that, running us from place to place, having each location timed so that we could travel quickly. I was ready to put it under the wheel of Edward's car.

"Alice, can Bella and I have a few minutes? We should decide on the food while we still remember it." Edward's request made her squish her nose, but she nodded.

"That makes sense. I've scheduled in a potty break, so if we're able to skip that we should be okay."

"Potty break?" I asked, laughing in shock. "Does that mean if my bladder doesn't cooperate I should just put on a diaper?"

She stuck her tongue out at me as Edward pulled me to the side of the building we had just exited. His laughter made his shoulders shake, reverberating through my body when he pulled me close. "Let's do this the same way we did the invitations," he suggested. When I nodded he reached behind me and wrote on the wall with a piece of chalk he had pulled out of his pocket. "Okay, I'm going to number the first place we visited number one, and so on, and writing the one I liked best on the wall, then the one I liked second next. Then, you close your eyes, I'll turn you around and you write your favorite number on the wall." I couldn't help but giggle, especially since he pinned me to the wall in order to write behind me.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded and closed my eyes, but instead of being turned around his lips found mine, kissing me softly, his hands threading in my hair. My hands found his waist, pulling his body against mine. The kiss didn't deepen, but stayed sweet and tender until the sound of his sister yelling that we needed to make a decision and move on broke us apart.

"I've wanted to do that all day. Keep your eyes closed," he whispered, this time turning me around. "All right, now write." It had been a no-brainer for me, the second place was really incredibly but really expensive while the third was almost as good at half the cost. The first number I put was a three, followed by a two. "Open your eyes," he chuckled. When I did it was to see that my numbers were the reverse of his. "What did you base your opinion on?" he asked, nodding as I explained. "And if money was no object?"

"Money is always an object, Edward. There's no sense in wasting it even when you have enough. There's no telling when a rainy day will come." His arms came around me again, this time his chest pressing into my back. His head rested on my shoulder as he sighed.

"At least we've narrowed it down and understand each other. Let's look at everything else, and if money becomes an issue then I'll go your way. If not, will you go mine?"

"How about if I agree to consider it?" I said, wrapping my arms around his, enjoying the heat of his body in spite of the heat of the day.

"Good enough," he said, kissing the side of my head. Alice started yelling for us again. We both sighed in unison, then chuckled when we realized what we'd done. "I apologize for my family, and at the same time want to annoy her even more."

"What do you have in mind?" I asked, anticipation of what he might do tightening my stomach. His response was to move my hair to the side and begin to lightly kiss my neck. Relaxing back into him, placing my head on his shoulder to give him more access, I sighed and ran my hands up his arms. In minutes he had me turned around again, stepping forward so that one leg was between mine as his lips continued to ravage my neck and hold me against the wall once again. My hands, which had been on his arms, were now grasping onto his shoulders, enjoying how broad and strong they felt.

"Will you PLEASE stop and let her go?" Alice screeched next to us. "Great, you're in love, you're horny, but you have pictures on Tuesday and if you give her a hickie it'll still be there and I don't think it would be good to put her in a turtleneck in ninety degree heat."

With great reluctance I let go and followed Alice into her car, climbing into the minuscule backseat behind my mother who was chuckling. "Don't look so forlorn, Bella. You'll be back together soon. All you have to do is decide on a dress." With a groan I put my head in my hands and wished it were all over.

* * *

Mamacat20, does that answer your question?

The news keeps saying today is the saddest day of the year because of the weather, unpaid holiday bills, etc. Here's hoping a second chapter cheers you up! xoxo!


	36. Chapter 36 Newfangled

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Newfangled  
**Dialogue Prompt**: "It's so shiny!" she squealed.

* * *

"Alice?" I called sleepily from the backseat of her Porsche. "Why am I trying on a dress after I've eaten so much food?"

"Because you'll have eaten between the wedding and the reception, and there'll be more food at the reception, and you want to be comfortable." Her voice was happy as she explained this, and I couldn't get past the idea that I was being kidnapped. "Also, this way you'll know what you look like with a full stomach." My eyes must have rolled up into my head because she laughed merrily as we sped down the road. Apparently there was really only one dress shop she was interested in me visiting, proclaiming that I would love it.

The food had the expected effect of making me quite somnolent, so I dozed as she sped through the streets, chatting with my mom about what dress we might find for her and Esme to wear. Alice suggested putting the moms in navy and the bridesmaids in silver. There was only one problem with that, I had no idea who to ask to be my bridesmaids. I'd left all of my high school friends behind, and was essentially a hermit outside of work. The nightclub scene didn't appeal to me. My coworkers, while nice enough, hadn't become close friends. There was really no one, outside of Alice and Rosalie, who I could even think of asking.

"What has you so deep in thought?" Alice asked, glancing into her rear-view mirror. "It was like we lost you."

"This sounds really pathetic, Alice, but I'm not really close enough to anyone to ask them to be my bridesmaids." My face was heating up in my embarrassment over admitting I was socially backward. "It would be great if you and Rosalie would, but there isn't anyone else."

When she looked back at me her face was radiant. "No wonder you and my brother get along so well," she said, surprising me. "You both are very close to those you love and don't have frivolous relationships." _Except this one_, I thought, but then decided that was wrong. He has been so serious about this, and if I didn't know better I would think he was trying to get me to fall in love with him. Did I know better?

Before I could figure that out, though, we were in front of the dress shop. A rather large woman with bright yellow hair met us at the door. "Oh! Is this the blushing bride?" she cooed, reaching for my hand. "Miss Alice has told me that you want something classic. I didn't know how classic you wanted so I've pulled a range of styles for you to choose from." She was quickly pulling me back to where there were quite a few dresses on display. It seemed there was everything there, from a Colonial, to Regency, through the civil war and onto the nineteen-fifties. "I have styles up through modern, but stopped here since these seem more classic to me, but it's your wedding dear."

"Can I look a minute?" I asked, running my hand over some beautiful satin material. She nodded and waved me forward. There were pearls and diamonds, lace and satin, hoops of all shapes and sizes, and I could have sworn one used a bustle. What I didn't find was a pricetag, anywhere. "Excuse me?" I called, pulling the saleslady away from chatting with Alice and my mom, "I can't find any pricetags."

She smirked at Alice who shrugged in a very 'I told you so' way. My mother was giggling. "They have bar-codes on them, Bella," the lady explained. "I have this newfangled reader so the bride doesn't get sticker shock. Pick out what you like, then we'll discuss options to bring it into the range you need." Alice tried to hide a laugh so I could just imagine what options she would be using to bring down the price of the dress. I just rolled my eyes and resumed my search.

The Cinderella dresses were beautiful, but just too much for me. The Regency dresses were gorgeous, but I didn't want a dress of lace. There was no way I was going to be married in a dress that if I sat down wrong the hoops would lift up in front. Making my way around the room I finally found it. It was satin, with a full surplice top that gathered to an empire waist, the surplice was lined with small white roses that hung in a garland down the front. The skirt fell to the floor in a straight line, flowing into a modest train. The sleeves were full to the elbow, then tight to the wrist, almost mimicking the lines of the dress itself. It was nicely modest; I could easily bend over and not worry about the top falling open.

"Edward will love it," Alice whispered behind me.

"How do you know?" I asked, pulling the skirt up to feel the richness of the material.

"Because when I got married last fall he picked out this very dress, saying he thought it was lovely." She put her arm around my waist and laid her head on my shoulder. "I thought he was crazy, and that maybe you really didn't know each other, but I guess you're just so alike it's easy for you."

"It's probably exorbitant," I sighed.

"Did you not hear Miss Alice?" the saleslady asked quietly beside me. "It was here last fall, I'm happy to give it to you for half off. Why don't you try it on?"

It was then I decided Alice was right. Putting on the dress made this all real. I stood on the podium, mirrors around me, as they talked about pinning here and tucking there to make it fit perfectly, but I just looked at my mom. She had tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. Then Alice came up behind me, reached up, and put a simple veil over my head. It was lined in satin and had seed pearls scattered over the material. There was a simple headband that had the same roses across it. It seemed like something from the Edwardian age. How appropriate, since I was marrying an Edward.

Before long the dress was off and being hung up to await alterations. I never did find out how much it cost because my mother had scooted off to pay for it while I was getting dressed. For the first time since my mother surprised me by saying she was talking to Edward, I was looking forward to getting married. Suddenly, I missed my groom.

"We're going to meet him soon," Alice said as she pranced by me on the way to the car, pulling out a beeping phone. With a smirk she added, "Just not where you're expecting."

"Aren't we tasting cakes next?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, but you chose a dress much quicker than I anticipated, so we're ahead of schedule. Seems Edward picked out a tux just as quickly, and found a surprise for you. He's asking if we can meet him somewhere else." She flashed me a grin and hopped into her car, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel impatiently while I climbed in the back. As soon as my mother's seatbelt was fastened we were out of there like a shot.

In no time we were at a dealership where Edward was standing beside a silver car. Alice's reaction was immediate. "It's so shiny!" she squealed, slamming on the brakes so that we slid into a spot next to him. "I love it!" she continued as she jumped out and went to look at it.

Oddly, Edward looked nervous. His smile was off as I stepped into his embrace. "What's with the car?" I asked, chuckling as Alice continued to ooh and ah over how cool it was.

"I thought you could use one, so you don't have to take the bus anymore," he said nervously.

"What?" I screeched.

* * *

Here's to Chinabearmeow, suffering in the Brisbane floods. I hope all is well, hon!


	37. Chapter 37 Originate

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Originate

* * *

"And just why have you decided to buy me a car?" I hissed out quietly, my teeth clenched to keep from yelling. Alice and my mother were still dancing around the object of discussion.

"You don't have one." His reply was met with an arched eyebrow from me. I was perfectly aware I didn't have a car. "And I worry about you standing at the bus stop every evening. Anything could happen."

"The people who ride the bus are perfectly normal, Edward. What could possibly happen?" My tone hadn't improved and he noticed.

"Once you get on the bus, sure, but what about while waiting? What about when you get off and walk the rest of the way to your apartment?" If he wasn't so infuriating it would be almost sweet.

"Edward, Paul, the security guy? He lives over by me and walks me to my apartment. I'm perfectly safe," I reasoned, trying to ignore my mother who was calling my attention to the heated and cooled leather seats.

"No, actually he doesn't," Edward said, looking highly uncomfortable. His eyes were darting between mine and the ground, then over to the car, before returning to me.

"He's been walking with me for over a year, Edward. Yes, he does." My arms were now crossed over my chest and I was walking away from the noise. The salesman had gotten involved, showing the others all the bells and whistles. There was simply no way to have a quiet conversation next to them. That, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I was about to hear something that would make me even more upset.

"He's ridden with you and seen you home because I asked him to," Edward said behind me, following me as I walked. "How far do you intend to walk?"

"Far enough so that when I really get upset the others won't hear. How does Tacoma sound?" I ground out. My feet stopped dead when he chuckled, except to turn on him. "Are you laughing at me?" That was a bit louder, something I didn't want, so I forced myself to take some deep breaths.

"No, not at you," he said, his hands up in surrender. "Well, maybe a little," he added while lowering them.

"Well, as it seems we're about to have our first real argument, you might as well get everything out at once," I announced. My fists were now at my side. They would be easier to swing from that location.

"Fine," he said, the laughter in his eyes belying the strength of his tone. He took off walking again, moving even further away from our family members. At least it was in the direction of Tacoma. When he reached the edge of the lot he stopped and turned to me.

"One night Paul called up to me, saying there was an employee at the bus stop, you it turns out, and that he picked up on a camera that some guy was walking around the block, looking at you weird. He didn't like it, but since you weren't on company property, he didn't know what to do. I didn't know it was you, only that he said, 'A young woman who works for us,' but I didn't care who it was, just that my employee wasn't safe.

"Anyway, I asked him to call the police, ask another security guard to watch the cameras and go out and stand with you until you were safely on the bus. One problem, stalker guy got on, so Paul hopped on as well and basically followed you home. He told the lie that he lived nearby, but because he was there stalker guy never even talked to you. He's been riding with you ever since; I picked up his bus pass. Didn't you ever wonder why he never rode with you in the morning?" As he spoke the anger drained out of me. Fine, his reason was sound for why he had me followed, but it didn't mean I needed a car.

"Edward, why buy me a car now? In another month I won't be catching that bus anymore. To be honest, I pretty much assumed I'd be riding with you." Noticing that my tone was now more reasonable he reached out to pull me close. I didn't fight him, but didn't relax or give up my point either. "I can see how the idea would originate, but it's not likely that I'll really need it. Especially after we're married, I can just use yours." The way his face blanched was almost comical, so I pressed on. "I'm sure it will hold the groceries just fine, and I do know how to drive a manual. My old nineteen-fifties truck was one, and it can't be that different." That might have too much, considering how his jaw clenched and he looked back at the car. Crap, I may be a car owner soon after all.

"Trust me, it's quite different," he murmured as he looked down at me. He seemed to be assessing my statement, then came to a decision. "Is the problem that I'm buying you a car, or that I did it without talking to you first?"

"Both."

He looked into my eyes for another moment before continuing. "Fine, no more making major decisions without you…"

"Thank you!" I cried, cutting him off. He gave me an amused glare until I was quiet again.

"Just remember we might disagree on what constitutes 'major', so be patient." He wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on mine. "Is the problem that I'm paying for the car?" I nodded, at least as much as I could with his chin on my head. He sighed. "If you had enough money would you buy a car?"

Something told me to tread carefully. "Perhaps, but not that one."

"Because it's so expensive or because you don't like it?"

It was my turn to sigh. Truth was that it was a really cool car. The sad truth was that I had a picture of it as my computer's wallpaper and I had been saving ever since I started this job for just that car. I wondered if he had seen that the other day. He started to chuckle, so I had a feeling I was busted. "How about if I give it to you as a wedding present?"

"Too expensive," I said, shaking my head.

"Is there a budget?" His words were broken up by his chuckling. I got the feeling this would be a source of contention for us if we didn't clear it up.

"There's always a budget. Besides, I like practical gifts." He started to react so I cut him off. "Ones that don't cost over one hundred dollars."

"Is that my spending limit?" The surprise in his voice caused it to raise. "We definitely need to talk money, Bella, because you and I view it completely differently."

His arms tightened around me again. "I know you like the car. Let me give it to you." I shook my head. "Please? It shook again. "How about if I let you pay for part of it, would that make you feel better? Your job comes with a raise, I'll just make the down payment and you can make the monthly payments, although that is seriously a waste of money. All that interest…"

Dang, he knew he would get me with that argument. If there was anything I hated it was wasting money. That's all right, I still have my trump card. "Not buying it."

With that his put me out to arms length and narrowed his eyes. "You're being stubborn. Why?"

"Because I don't want to be a kept woman," I said. "I feel like I'm being bought, even though I'm the one that trapped you into this." That now familiar look of frustration crossed his face again when I said that.

"Bella," he growled. Actually growled! He must be really frustrated. "What do I have to do to convince you that I expect to keep you? Married people do things for each other; they surprise each other with gifts just because. This was supposed to be a happy surprise. I get that you see it as another decision I made without you, and I promise to work on that. What I ask in return is that you work on accepting the fact that you have money now and not be upset when we spend it."

I really hated it when he was reasonable. Thinking quickly I countered. "How about we go with the more expensive caterer, and don't buy the car?"

"I still want you to have a car, though. Think of it as giving you a way to get away from me when I'm annoying you." I chuckled at that. "If you agree, I'll go with the cheaper caterer and promise to not buy you another car until this one gets old."

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to argue over what is 'old'?" I teased, knowing I was relenting. He knew it too, and his smile became radiant.

"So cheaper caterer and we buy the car?" When I nodded he picked me up and swung me around, lowering me enough to kiss me soundly. In minutes all thought of our disagreement left as my hands wormed their way around his waist in order to grab hold of his shirt. My back met the side of the car next to us just as his tongue gently probed past my lips, asking for entrance. For all of the passion of the kiss, it was also soft, almost loving, as he placed his hands on my waist. In no way was he forcing himself on me. It was almost as if, having won this concession, he didn't want to press his advantage.

A few horns sounded on the road, making us separate with a laugh. "Are there any other large purchases you should warn me about? Just so we can fight, you can win, and we can get them out of the way?" I teased, but then hesitated when a shadow crossed his face in a flash.

"Nope, nothing," he said, not looking at me. "We should get back to fill in the paperwork. Alice will be upset if we miss the cake tastings." I looked at him carefully, but he never turned back to me, so I let it drop.

An hour later we were done with the paperwork and a lot boy was going to deliver it to Edward's apartment since he actually had a place to park it. Alice had called the bakeries, warning them we were running late, but still rushed us out as soon as the last detail was settled.

I rode with Edward, his front seat was much more comfortable than Alice's back, and we followed Alice to our first cake appointment. It wasn't until we were walking in and Alice said something that I thought again of that shadow that crossed Edward's face earlier.

"I don't know why you're so uptight about the car, Bella," she had quipped. "If you think that's bad, you should see how much he spent on the honeymoon."

* * *

In the over 20 years that Baboo and I have been together, I think I've actually raised my voice about 5 or 6 times when we've argued. Mostly because I know he's listening, even when he's not agreeing with me, just as I try to do with him. I've both won and lost those disagreements, but usually we reach a compromise. Then again, he does cheat. When I'm getting upset he hugs me. Totally wipes away all feelings of frustration and anger. Big cheater...


	38. Chapter 38 Preserve

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Preserve

* * *

Edward's growl of frustration would have been amusing if we hadn't just had this conversation. With a glare at his sister he turned to me. "It's the groom who pays for the honeymoon, you can't argue that."

"But I would like to know where we're going. That falls under the 'making major decisions' category, don't you think?" Renee grabbed Alice's arm to drag her into the bakery as we stayed outside. I was standing with my feet planted and my arms crossed once again.

"In all fairness, that conversation was just an hour ago, and the honeymoon was purchased yesterday," he reasoned. "And, if you think about it, you can probably figure out where we're going."

At first there was nothing but confusion, but then I remembered saying I guessed I wouldn't be going on the cruise I had been anticipating. "We're going on a cruise?" He nodded. "Where?"

He started to shuffle his feet and his hand went into his hair. A sign I was beginning to recognize meant he was uncomfortable. "The day you were home with your ankle I asked Mrs. Cope to move your desk for you. She put everything into your new desk exactly where you had it in your old one." His words were coming faster now, as if he was wanting to justify what he'd done. This time I was actually grateful, dreading the prospect of having to move myself, so I thanked him and waved him on. "Well, she found your cruise pamphlet, and showed me the ones you had highlighted."

Now I was nervous. "Edward, there were probably, like, ten highlighted in there."

"Yes, but only one of them was for three weeks. I thought that would be a good length of time for our honeymoon."

My mind raced again. I had looked over that silly pamphlet probably a hundred times. So many of them appealed to me, the thought of seeing the world from a ship where I was also fed just seemed ideal. Quite a few had been for a week, mostly in the Caribbean, so those were cast out. There had been river cruises, but the longest of those had been around ten days.

Then it hit me. My eyes widened as I gaped at Edward who was sporting a hesitant smile. "We're going to Spain?"

He nodded. "And Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cairo, Morocco, the Bahamas, Belize, through the Panama Canal, up the west side of Mexico and California. It stops in San Francisco, but I found another ship that'll take off then and take us up to Alaska." He was as excited as me, but still hesitant. "I haven't booked the second one yet, but we can, if you like."

I knew I should be upset. I knew that if I had any hope to preserve my argument that he shouldn't be spending so much money on me then he needed to be told no, and to cancel the cruise. I knew that by saying yes I was saying there was one thing I was willing to spend money on and not argue about. I meant to say no, really I did. It's not what came out of my mouth.

"We can go to Alaska too?" I asked, shaking with excitement. If he had looked radiant when I said yes to the car it was nothing compared to what he looked like then. Then his smiled morphed into a smirk.

"It seems I've found your weak point, Miss Swan." Once again he advanced on me, taking me into his arms. "It seems you like to travel?"

"More that I want to travel," I replied, melting into him. "Unfortunately, it takes time and money, neither of which I have."

"The time might be a problem, since we are expected to work, but money shouldn't be an issue for you anymore." He took my chin and tilted it up so he could look directly into my eyes. "Please understand this."

"Why are you doing this?" I whispered, not wanting to break the trance he was putting me under but wanting to understand. "Why are you treating this like a real romance? Like we're madly in love and excited to get married?"

He studied my face for a moment before letting out the breath he was holding in a rush. "If you don't know yet, then I'm not going to tell you." Holding up his hand to stop my impending protest he continued. "Don't worry, if you haven't figured it out by the time we get married, I'll fill you in."

"Would you two _please _come in now so we can taste some cakes?" Alice called from the doorway. For the next four hours we went from place to place trying cakes. Before even stepping into the last bakery I was ready to collapse into a sugar-induced coma and Edward was looking a little green. Sadly, it was also the best place and we were too full to enjoy it. At least this decision was easy for us. After the first bite we looked at each other and nodded. Then it was only a matter of picking a design. Once again our similar tastes served us well. I went through the book, once again numbering which I liked first, second and third, then handed it over to him. Since both of us had picked the same one for number one, it was easily settled.

"What do you want to do the rest of the evening?" Edward asked when we were finally done with Alice's list. My hand was warm in his as I followed him out to his car.

"Crash," I said quietly. "I can't believe I'm this tired." He pulled me closer, wrapping the hand he was holding behind my back. This allowed me to lay my head on his chest as he leaned against the car. "What I should do is spend some time with my mom, though what we'd do is beyond me."

"I'm pretty tired myself," Renee said behind me, drawing my attention. "I wouldn't mind just watching a movie." She said the last while covering a yawn, which I naturally had to repeat, followed by Edward, causing us all to chuckle. Alice was spry as ever, shaking her head at us.

"We could do that at my place," Edward offered once he was able to close his mouth somewhat, "unless you want to do it at yours?"

"Hmm, big, flat-screen with surround sound or small dinosaur with scratchy speakers?" I said, tapping my chin as if trying to decide. "Which would be better?" He smirked at me but before he could say anything Alice had my mother in her car on the way to Edward's apartment.

As soon as we were alone again Edward surprised me. "So why do you get to make major decisions without talking to me, but I don't get to without talking to you?"

Twisting in my seat I scrunched up my face in confusion. "Whatever are you talking about?"

"Today, when we were discussing the car, you said you'd be moving in with me after we were married. I'd say living arrangements are a pretty major, but you never once talked to me about it. You just decided." The tiny smile playing at his lips told me he was teasing, but the question was serious. While I did my imitation of a guppy, grasping for a thought, he continued. "Not that I mind, or that I had a different thought in mind, just that we should have probably talked about it before you made the decision, don't you think?"

My entire body slumped in the seat when I realized he was right. "I'm so sorry. You're right. I did make an assumption without even talking to you. But at least mine is a reasonable one."

"Ha!" he laughed loudly, "And providing you with safe transportation isn't? Getting you a car is perfectly reasonable."

"I'll concede me having safe and adequate transportation is reasonable, but spending over seventy thousand dollars is not," I countered. "It doesn't compare to the living arrangements because we have to live somewhere, and choosing my place is simply ludicrous. I can barely fit me in there." I gave a slight nod at the end, smiling as if to dare him to argue with that point.

"Who decided we were living together?" he asked. The question was like a punch to the gut.

"Bella," he said concernedly, "I do expect to live with you after we're married. Please don't take that to mean I don't want to, because I do." He took my hand once more, pulling at my arm to free it from where I had wrapped them around my stomach. "I'm just trying to prove a point, that I'm not the only one who needs to stop deciding things."

I relaxed a little, wondering why the thought of not living with him had sent such a cold chill through my body. It was only three days ago when Renee had accosted him in the lobby, and yet in that very short period of time I had gone from fake dating him, to marrying him, to wondering how I could ever live without him.

"Maybe after the movie is over we can discuss where you want to put your things?" he asked, seeing that I had relaxed. "I want you to be comfortable there as well."

"All right," I agreed, now feeling nervous. His kisses burned like fire across my body, but how much more did he expect? When we were married and moved in together, would we be man in wife in all facets? Suddenly the prospect of moving in with him was much more exciting, and more nerve-wracking.

As if he could hear what I was thinking he added, "And we should probably discuss sex and children. Because, Bella?" he said, smirking at me, "I want both with you."

* * *

Time check: Renee met Edward on Wednesday evening, Bella spent Thursday with her ankle up, Friday was the discussion of the job and visiting Charlie, and we're now at the close of Saturday with them where they've picked out a caterer, car and cake (today was brought to you by the letter C, sorry, my brain just does that sometimes). So, yes, things are moving incredibly fast. So fast that Bella doesn't know what hit her, only that she's about to marry the guy she's been crushing on for quite a while and he seems more than okay with it.

I hope that clears some things up for you all!


	39. Chapter 39 Unused

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Unused

* * *

I woke up feeling rather cramped. I remembered blushing and stammering at Edward's comment about sex, but couldn't reply because the cheater pulled into his parking garage right then and Alice and my mom were waiting for us. They both had smirked at my blush, asking what had put it there, laughing loudly when I refused to answer.

The evening was nice, my mom falling asleep in one of Edward's chairs while he and I fell asleep with him spooning me on the couch. I remember waking up to the feeling of a blanket being placed over me, and had a vague recollection of my mom saying she was going to sleep in the guest bedroom. Now I was crushed into the corner of the couch, Edward's head on my chest, a hand on my breast and his legs tangled with mine. Where the blanket could be was anyone's guess, but with an Edward quilt it certainly wasn't needed.

What would have been nice would be to move his hand to somewhere that wouldn't embarrass us both when he woke up and just go back to sleep. Unfortunately, there was no going back to sleep since I'd fallen asleep so early and was now wide awake. Also, there was a distinct need to use the bathroom, and food wouldn't be a bad idea either.

I carefully lowered my arm from over my head and took hold of his wrist. When I tried to lift his hand, though, it tightened around my breast and he shifted his leg so that it was pressing up against me quite intimately. Still, getting up was necessary so another attempt was made, only instead of lifting I tried sliding it down my torso. It moved, but I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning at the feeling of it dragging over me. Just as the tips of his long fingers were almost off his hand tightened again.

"Bella, what are you doing?" he muttered sleepily, moving his hand back up. His thumb started running across my nipple slowly, sending shock waves of desire through me.

There would be no getting out of this without embarrassment, it seemed. "Edward, you need to wake up," I whispered, pulling on his arm once again. He muttered something I didn't catch but at least moved his hand down to my waist. The reprieve was short because he slid down my body just enough to start nuzzling my other breast, kissing me through my shirt. Any more of this and I was going to spontaneously combust.

Gasping slightly from the sensations coursing through me I hitched up my foot to try to get some traction and push myself up and over the arm of the couch. It was a bad idea. As soon as my body arched some it made me press against him in such a way that there was little doubt what he was dreaming about. He moaned some and began to nuzzle me more, slipping his hand under my shirt and up my body to play with my other breast as he started to press his erection into my leg.

Since getting away was obviously not working, I decided on a different tactic. I shook him. "Edward, wake up," I said louder. "We can't do this." His fingers slipped under the cup of my bra, pinching my nipple lightly, making me moan. "Edward, stop," I said slightly louder, very close to just letting him continue. Then I felt him freeze.

"Bella?" he whispered hoarsely.

"You're finally awake," I said, partly relieved, extremely turned on. "I know you said you wanted to have sex, I just didn't think you meant tonight, on the couch, with my mother in the next room." _Please, please, please let him not freak out and just laugh about this_, I prayed.

"Oh," he said, looking up at me then down, seeing where his hand and face were. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry," he cried, falling over backwards off the couch as he tried to get away from me. Only, his hand was stuck inside my bra and shirt, so when he rolled off he pulled me with him.

Naturally I landed with my knee in a very bad place. "Crap, crap, crap!" I cried at his sharp intake of breath that was followed by his hand quickly exiting my top to cover himself. With a little more room I was able to slide off his body, but had no idea of what to do for him. My hands fluttered around him, but there was no way I was actually going to touch him there. "What can I do?" I asked quietly, hoping my mother hadn't heard the thump of us falling onto the floor. "I'm so sorry."

"You could fix your shirt," he whispered, moving to sit up. Glancing down I could see that I was hanging out of my bra and the neckline of my blouse was doing nothing to hide that fact. As I put things to right he asked, "What time is it?"

A quick look out the window revealed it was still dark out. "I don't know, early." He seemed to be sitting relatively comfortably on the floor with his arm on his knees and his forehead on his arm and breathing deeply. "I'm sorry I woke you."

He lifted his head and smirked. "Really? Because you certainly got back at me for what I was dreaming."

"It wasn't what you were dreaming that made me wake you," I said, not realizing what had slipped out until he started to laugh. "I mean, I had to go to the bathroom, not that I minded you fondling me in my sleep." Crap, that was worse! "I'm going to stop talking now."

He was chuckling as he stood up. "The PJs you wore last night are still on my bed. Why don't you go get them so you'll be more comfortable and change in my bathroom? I'll change as well, then we can talk." I nodded and started to walk away, but he stopped me. "Oh, and don't wear the bra."

Rolling my eyes at him I quickened my pace to the bathroom. Once in there I heard him opening a drawer and figured he was changing as well. After finishing my business I peeked out. "Are you dressed?" I asked timidly.

"Yes, come to bed," he answered. When I stepped out it was to see him topless and holding the sheets open for me. As soon as I was settled he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. "I'm guessing sex won't be a problem for us?" he asked, starting to chuckle again.

My face flamed. "Um, I guess not," I stammered. "But I've never …" my voice trailed off, too embarrassed to continue.

"I know, I remember." He moved so that he was lying on his back, pulling me around so that my head was on his shoulder and my arm around his waist. "I've had two girlfriends, one in high school, another at the end of college. I wish I had waited for you, though," he said, finally telling me about his past.

"What happened?" I asked, not looking at him. Instead my eyes were trained on the far wall.

"What normally does, I suppose. With the first we were too young and had no idea what we were doing. We grew up and consequently grew apart. The second was my fault. I knew I didn't love her, just that it was nice to be in a relationship." He gave me a squeeze, lifting up my hand to lace his fingers with mine, twisting them around over and over. "After my graduation she started to talk about marriage but that was not going to happen. So I put her off and put her off, until one day she confronted me. I swore I'd never hurt someone that way again, so just didn't bother with second or third dates if the person wasn't someone I was really interested in."

"And yet you're marrying me?" I asked.

"So it seems." He set my hand on his chest and held it still for a moment. I just waited. "I'm unused to explaining myself, usually my family just lets me go with my instincts, trusting them. They are this time as well." He paused again, letting go of my hand to pick up a lock of my hair, rubbing it between his fingers. "I can't say why, I just know this will work. It's not about being in a relationship, but being in one with you. It's just right." Then he laughed. "We just have to be sure to not sleep too closely until after we're married, or we'll never make it to the wedding night."

"Should I get up?" I asked, pulling away, only to be pulled back with an emphatic 'no!' We were quiet for a while more, neither of us sleepy, just reacting to the time of day. "What should we talk about?"

"Each other," he replied, then began to ply me with questions. Why did I want to be an editor? What was my favorite color? What author did I particularly like? The questions kept coming and coming as we learned more about each other. By the time the sun started to shine in the windows we were both laying on our sides, facing each other and laughing as we asked the most ridiculous thing possible. As we caught our breath after arguing whether or not you could see your headlights if you turned them on while traveling at the speed of light he lifted his hand to cup my face. "It's because we both enjoy these silly discussions that I think we'll make it, Bella."

* * *

I've woken up to find I was having sex with baboo on more than one occasion. He insists I attacked him in my sleep, which really isn't too hard to believe.

The headlight question was one I had on a homework assignment in physics. I never did understand the answer and can't remember if it was yes or no. It's been popping back up in my head off and on for twenty years now.


	40. Chapter 40 Sparkle

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Sparkle  
**Dialogue Prompt**: "I am born again!" she exalted.

* * *

A light tap on the bedroom door pulled us from our bubble. "Bella? Edward?" my mother called. "I'm sorry to disturb you but I need to get home and pack." Renee was flying out this afternoon, returning to Phil after visiting me for a long weekend. We were taking her to the airport today after dinner with the entire family, which, Alice informed us last night, even included Charlie. This should be fun.

"Come on in, mom," I called, rolling onto my back to stretch. Edward pulled the sheet up to cover his torso, making me giggle. He didn't have any trouble walking around half dressed in front of me, but it seemed my mother was different.

She peeked in the door carefully, smiling to see at least me fully clothed with space between us. I patted the bed as I had when a teenager, inviting her over to talk. "What have you two been whispering about?" she asked as she sat on the foot of the bed, crossing her legs like she was getting ready to do yoga.

"Everything," I answered, wondering at the smile on her face. "We can get up now and go if you like. I'm sorry I haven't spent time with you this weekend like you wanted."

Her answering smile was soft. "And what makes you think visiting the Space Needle could be more interesting than helping you get ready for your wedding?" She reached over and took my hand, twisting it so that the diamonds would sparkle in the morning light. "It's really quite beautiful, Edward," she said.

Sitting up, pulling the sheet with him, he replied, "Thanks, it was my grandmother's. She left it to my mom, who offered it to each couple as they got married. It wasn't right for the other girls, but I think it suits Bella perfectly, don't you?"

I nodded absentmindedly, not realizing my mother was watching until she laughingly replied, "She seems to think so." With that she hopped back up and headed for the door. "We're supposed to be over to the Cullen's in a few hours, and I have lots to do, so let's get moving!"

Trying not to grumble I started to get out of the bed, only to be caught around the waist and pulled back. "I didn't get my morning kiss," Edward said, rolling me onto my back.

"I'd say you got more than that," I teased, pretending to try to roll away.

"Get back here," he said with a growl, rolling onto me to hold me still. "Hmm, this is rather comfortable. Let's just stay like this, okay?" He started to kiss me, giving me no time to answer as his hand trailed down my arm to reach my hand, before lifting it over my head. My head started swimming, the oxygen deprivation was back, and I welcomed it happily.

It didn't last. "That's not the kind of moving I was talking about!" Renee laughed from the door, causing us to spring apart like magnets meeting at opposite polar ends. "Now both of you get out of that bed and get dressed where the other can't see or we'll never get out of here."

A couple hours later found us at the Cullen's house, my mother's bags packed and me more embarrassed than ever. Edward had spent the time my mother was packing by looking through my apartment, commenting on what we could fit where in his place. Naturally my mother asked where he thought we should keep the tampons. He replied that under the sink in the master bathroom should work, the redness of his face belying his calm tone.

Carlisle and Esme were very welcoming, whatever had gone on between Carlisle and Edward seeming to be over. "Dinner is almost ready," Esme said, ushering us into the living room.

"Can we help?" my mother asked, scaring me. I'm sure Esme intended this dinner to be edible.

"Why don't all we girls head to the kitchen?" Esme asked, and I immediately rose to keep my mother from helping with anything that might require more than a knife to prepare. Thankfully Esme had everything in hand and just asked us to chop up the vegetables for a salad, although I did take the knife from mom so the tomatoes could have some shape and not be completely shredded.

Alice came into the kitchen just as the last of the cucumbers were sliced. "I am born again!" she exalted, dancing merrily as Jasper smiled at her from behind, giving me a small wave.

"Whatever are you talking about?" Rosalie asked, walking in behind her in a much more sedate way. "Hello, Bella and Renee," she added as she went to the refrigerator and began pulling out bottles of salad dressing.

"What's who talking about?" Emmett asked, coming in later with Edward and Carlisle behind him. "Oh, hey Bella and Renee!" He came over and gave me a one-armed hug while reaching over to shake my mother's hand.

"Your sister has been born again, apparently," Esme said as she pulled a couple chickens out of the oven. "Bella, the salad tongs are in the second drawer down in front of where you're standing." She put the chickens on the stove then reached in for a couple more. Seeing my look of surprise she chuckled. "Emmett eats one by himself; I figured the rest of us wanted to eat. Alice, Rosalie, let's get the table set."

Rose started in motion, gathering plates and heading toward the dining room. Alice, however, stayed still, looking peevish. "Doesn't anyone want to know why?"

"I'm sure you'll tell us, dear," Esme said, pulling potatoes from another oven and piling them on a plate. The doorbell rang just then, so she asked Jasper to go let Charlie in. Alice just huffed and went to get some silverware to set out.

My father came around the corner and I walked over to give him a hug. "Hey Bells. It's good to see you again."

Most of the talk around the dinner table centered on wedding plans and laughing about how much we had eaten the day before. Alice was dying to tell us something, but it seemed the entire family was taking an inordinate amount of satisfaction out of not asking her anything, watching her squirm.

Jasper and my father talked about criminal psychology. He was studying law but hadn't decided what kind of lawyer he wanted to be. Jasper's biggest surprise came when my dad suggested defense. "Usually it's stupid kids who need someone to believe in them, even while telling them to grow up."

Finally Alice couldn't take it anymore. "Doesn't anyone want to know why I'm so excited? I'd think Edward and Bella would at least be interested."

Chuckling Edward leaned on the table, linking his fingers as he looked at his sister over them. "Please, tell us, Alice."

"After dropping off Renee to your place last night I found a new florist! He's promised to do everything much cheaper than anyone else I've worked with!" she cried, bouncing in her seat. "And his arrangements are breathtaking!"

"That makes her born again?" I asked quietly to Edward.

"You should have seen her after she met Jasper." The whole family laughed, including her husband who lifted her hand to kiss it.

"No, that was when I was born again," he said, smoothing Alice's ruffled feathers. It seems wooing was a family trait.

* * *

I love having two ovens. One doesn't get used much because it's in the basement off the family room, but it really comes in handy from time to time.


	41. Chapter 41 Snow

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Snow

* * *

Monday morning found Edward arguing with me. Apparently catching the bus was no longer an option, and since my car wouldn't be delivered until later today, and there was nowhere to park it at my apartment even if it had come sooner, he insisted he had to drive me. Oh, and why not just stay at his place since he has a second bedroom? My dad's death glare when Edward suggested that was enough to make him back down quickly.

So it was decided that I could sleep in my apartment, but he was picking me up. The fact that I had successfully ridden the bus for years was completely irrelevant. "Besides," he added as I huffed in annoyance beside him, "this way we can spend more time together."

"Right, because after we're married we'll never see each other," I quipped.

"You're not much of a morning person, are you?" he asked, chuckling. I didn't say anything in response, letting my rolling eyes be answer enough. He let me alone until we got into the elevator and I pushed the button for the second floor. Taking my hand he leaned past me to push the one for the seventh, whispering, "You don't work there anymore, remember?" Letting out a loud sigh I nodded.

When we reached our floor Mrs. Cope came up to me with arms open wide and a sly smile for Edward. "How you two managed to snow not only me but also Carlisle is beyond me," she laughed. Taking my face into her hands she patted my cheek. "Don't worry, dear, Carlisle knows his son tried to stay away from you and just couldn't."

My head tried to swivel around to look at Edward, but Mrs. Cope held it firmly. There was no mistaking the stress in his voice when he asked her if my desk was all set up and what I needed to learn first. She just smirked at him as she let me go, and when I peeked over at him it was easy to see he was still blushing. His eyes didn't meet mine as he kissed my forehead and wished me well on my first day up here.

Mrs. Cope, Shelly, was actually a very good trainer. "Most of your duties are babysitting, to be honest," she giggled. "Just don't tell them I said that." After promising secrecy she set to work showing me the scheduling software, how purchases were made, how to reconcile all of those with the p-card I would soon be issued, and how to insure all the office machinery worked properly. "You may be Carlisle's assistant, but you'll do work for all of the executives," she told me. "Each job might seem easy, but when you multiply it by the number of people you have to corral you'll see that your day goes by very quickly. Some managers you have to stay on top of to get some reports from when they're due, so I've written down whom they are and when you should start bugging them."

The morning whiled away quickly as she started having me edit some reports, figuring that was a good transition from my old job. Before I knew it Edward was standing against the wall, watching me. "I'm working," I told him. "Go away and leave me alone."

"You're a natural," Shelly giggled, "both as an admin and a wife."

Edward just shook his head. "You don't want any lunch?" He laughed at my surprised expression, especially when I glanced at the clock and saw it was much later than I had thought. "If you're not hungry, that's good, because Alice has a list of errands for us to do." Upon hearing my groan Shelly laughed as he said, "We can eat first."

"Good," I answered, ignoring Shelly's chuckles. "I thought Alice had decided on the flowers anyway, what can we possibly have to look at?"

"The bridal bouquet, the boutonnieres, the bridesmaids' bouquets," Shelly started to say, ticking them off her fingers just like Alice did.

"Are you related to the Cullens?" I asked, making her laugh even harder. "Because you looked like Alice right then."

"The job of a good admin is paying attention to details, personal ones, not just work related ones," she told me with a knowing look.

"Come on, love," Edward said, shrugging off the wall and reaching out for my hand. Turning to Shelly he added, "I'm pretty sure this will take the rest of the day, so she'll see you tomorrow."

"It's flowers, how long can it take?" I asked, trailing behind him as he pulled me into the elevator.

He just smiled, until the elevator doors closed behind us. Finding we were alone he swiftly turned and pulled me into him with one hand while the other tilted my chin up so he could kiss me soundly, only pulling away when we felt the car slow. "That's better," he said, smiling at me as the doors opened on the ground floor.

"What's better?" I asked, confused.

"You looked too clean, now you look thoroughly kissed. It's sexy." I laughed loudly at that, drawing smiles from some of our coworkers seeing us laughing and holding hands. It seemed the gossip had blown over quickly and now people were accepting that we were engaged. Noticing me notice them Edward whispered into my ear, "See? They don't care that we're dating. You had nothing to worry about on Friday."

"Mmhmm," I answered, waiting until we were in his car before saying anything else. After deciding that a salad at a place next to the florist's would be good for lunch I thought it was time to bring up something that had been at the back of my mind all day.

"This morning Shelly said something about you not being able to stay away from me," I said, looking directly at him to see his reaction. He glanced at me, looking a little guilty before his features smoothed out. "I was wondering what she meant by that."

He shrugged. "I just told her I'd been attracted to you for a while; she believed me." I would have believed him, but the slight flush on his face and the grinding of his teeth told me he was hiding something. So I continued to stare at him and he continued to watch the road, his eyes flashing to mine occasionally.

When he helped me from the car to eat lunch he kept hold of my hand, only to use it to spin me and back me up against the car. "No one we know will see us make out here," he whispered as he lowered his lips to mine, "and I'm far more hungry for you than a salad."

My hands were against his chest as he began to kiss me, clenching in the fabric in an attempt to pull him closer. In no time I forgot why we were there and what we were supposed to be doing, but a horn sounding nearby pulled his lips from mine in time for him to catch me from fainting away. "Breathe, Bella," he chuckled, helping me to stand. "Maybe we should go eat if you're feeling faint?" I just shook my head, trying to right my brain, and followed him.

A few hours later the food had been eaten and the flowers had been ordered. Trying to be dutiful I pulled out Alice's list, checking off the things we'd taken care of and making note of those we still needed to attend to. "I need to renew my passport," I said aloud in the car as we were driving to Edward's apartment.

He quickly turned a corner and pulled out his phone. "Hi Mrs. Cope," he said, giving me a wink, "Bella needs to renew her passport, can you call and see if the post office has an appointment time open today?" We pulled up into a post office as he spoke. "We're at the one near my house now, do you have them on the line?" I could make out her voice on the other end and chanced to look at the clock. It was almost five, so they would be closing soon. "Thanks," he said finally, closing his phone and sticking it into his pocket as he hopped out. "There's an opening if we're in there in two minutes."

"But I don't have my old one with me," I said, hesitating.

"I've got it in the glove box," he said with a wink, opening the latch and retrieving the little blue folder. "I picked it up when we were helping your mom on Sunday."

"Why?" I asked, a little peeved that he had done that.

"You put it on your desk, mentioning that you needed to check its expiration, and I needed it to get your name right on the tickets for our honeymoon, so I grabbed it," he explained as he took my hand and pulled me into the lobby. Looking at the harried looking worker he said, "We have an appointment to have her passport renewed?" We were instructed down a hallway.

"This goes on the list of doing things without asking," I said. His legs were incredibly long as we raced down the hall to the office we had been instructed to enter.

His face took on a speculative look, then he grimaced. "Yep, you're right. Sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"I'll consider it," I quipped before turning my attention to the person who obviously just wanted to go home.

* * *

She's calming down, seeing that he's trying to be thorough and not intentionally annoying. He's realizing he's being annoying. It's progress.

Our department admin is both the glue that holds us together and the oil that keeps things running smoothly. How she manages the needs of 60 scientists while still doing all her actual boss wants is beyond me. Just don't bother her at the end of the month when it's time to reconcile purchases, because in a department this size, ordering equipment for that many people to do research, the task becomes daunting.


	42. Chapter 42 Skate

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Skate

Sorry no post yesterday, it was a crazy day.

* * *

When we finally returned home it was to find my new car parked in Edward's customary spot. I was secretly bouncing with excitement. Although I had fought him on its purchase, it was the car of my dreams. It all vanished with his first words.

"We'll need to move it," he said, stopping behind it and not pulling into the other spot designated for his apartment.

"Why?" I asked. "Just pull your car into the other spot."

"But that's my spot," he replied, hesitating. "I wonder if the keys are on the seat or anything so you can just get in and move it so I can park there."

"You're kidding, right? Just park next to it." I'm sure my face was showing my shock. Was he obsessive-compulsive and I just not know it?

"But it's in my spot, Bella. What if I came home tired and inadvertently pulled into my spot and hit your car? It has to move." I was staring at him so it was easy to see he was actually serious.

"Oh, I don't know, you could look where you're going and then pull in? That seems like a simple enough solution to me. Besides, I'll move it tomorrow when I drive it to work." He wasn't happy about this.

"We take my car to work, Bella, so that won't fix the problem." He actually rolled his eyes at me as if I were the one being ridiculous.

"So we take my car instead, problem solved." Really, how hard was this?

He put the car in park, right behind my new car, and turned in his seat. "Bella, I know this seems silly to you, but think about it. I have driven into that spot for seven years now. I know me. Trust me when I say we need to move the car or I'll just pull into it."

"Do you have any other issues we need to discuss?" I asked, looking at him incredulously. "Do you have to read the paper first? Or does your toothbrush have to be green?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course my toothbrush doesn't have to be green. Please move the car?" He looked at me with barely contained patience. It didn't escape my notice that he hadn't said anything about the paper.

Still, this wasn't the place to discuss this, so I climbed out of the car and went to the door of mine. It was locked, with no keys in sight. "It's locked," I called over to him, raising my hands in a gesture of surrender. "I guess you'll have to park beside it." Honestly, inside I was celebrating a little.

"Try not to look so happy about winning," he smirked as he got out of his car. "I'm moving it as soon as I find the keys." I just shook my head and followed him into his apartment.

The keys were in an envelope on the floor along with the mail, having been pushed through the mail slot. "Oh, good, we can move the car!" he said happily, handing me the keys after taking off the spare to put on his key ring.

"Let's do it when you take me home tonight," I offered, crossing my arms over my chest and challenging him.

"But if we do it now we can drive to your place and get some of your stuff to move in here," he reasoned. He looked incredibly hopeful, so I just rolled my eyes, grabbed my purse from where I had dropped it and stalked out. He followed me out, getting into his car after helping me into mine. I pulled out quickly, not even watching for him. He knew the way.

When he pulled up behind me in the street he stayed in his car as I stalked to my door. His hand was running through his hair, but I ignored him and started up the stairs to my apartment. As soon as I was inside I had my heels kicked off, letting them fly wherever, and headed to my room to change into more comfortable clothes. I was tired, annoyed and really just wanted to relax for a minute. A light tapping on my bedroom door told me he was here.

"Are you changed?" he asked. In response I just went to the door and swung it open. "Did you want to pack some?"

"No, I want to relax for about an hour, then pack," It told him. "I was really hoping we could crash for a minute at your place, maybe watch the early news, and then come over here."

He let out a breath. "And you really think that your expectation of how every evening should progress is all that different than my desire to park in the same place every night?"

I was confused. "Don't skate around the issue, Edward. What are you talking about?"

"Every night we've come home together you have dropped your purse and kicked off your shoes, not caring where they went," he began.

"So?" I interrupted. He smiled and waited to be sure I was finished.

"You then plop onto the couch, put up your feet and take a nap. Your mom told me you've done the same thing every day since you started kindergarten." I started to roll my hand, indicating that he should get to the point. Reaching out he took the hand I was rolling and pulled me close to him. "I'm saying I'm not the only one who has a set way of doing things. I don't like cringing as your shoes go flying, wondering what they might hit, but it's your thing, so I deal with it. I like to park in the same place and read the paper first," he winked at that, indicating that he had heard that comment, "and I'm asking you if you can deal with it."

I hated it when he was being reasonable, even if it was about his completely unreasonable requests. Still, if this was the worst he had, was it really that bad? "Are there any other little things I need to be aware of before the 'I do's'?"

He smirked. "I don't care for broccoli but will eat it. I do love peas. Eating is one of my guilty pleasures, but I also like to drive fast." I laughed out loud at that, causing him to cock his head and smile, waiting for me to stop. When I finally finished he reached out and pulled me closer. "Do you think you can live with my bad habits?"

"I don't know; I haven't seen them all yet," I teased, wrapping my arms around his waist. "I'm pretty sure kicking my shoes is my worst, though, so you should have it easy." He chuckled at that. "Actually, I'm fairly certain I talk in my sleep."

"Actually," he replied with a twinkle in his eyes, "I know you do." He then glanced around my apartment. "What can't you live without?"

My eyes followed his. "My books, my clothes, and a few odds and ends. The furniture came from thrift shops, so there's no real attachment. Although ..." I hesitated, not wanting to offend him but still wanting to say what was on my mind.

"Although?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Are you set on the furniture in your apartment? It's, um, a bit masculine."

Shrugging he replied, "I'm a guy. It's supposed to be masculine. Why? Do you want to put a bedskirt on the bed?" He started to chuckle, the vibrations coming through his chest as he tried to hold it in.

"What's so funny about that?" I asked. Pulling on his shirt I drew his attention to my face.

"Something Emmett said after he married Rosalie. 'If you're a guy and have a bedskirt you're either married or gay.'" He rolled his eyes. "My mom had just put one on my bed, and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively when he saw it, and since I wasn't married he just assumed."

I shook my head, chuckling. Edward put one hand on the top of it and gently pushed it down on his shoulder before wrapping his arms around me again. "I'm not stuck on the furniture if you don't like it, but what would you think of keeping some of the living room furniture and putting into the den of a new house? One with extra bedrooms? Where we can have children?"

* * *

Baboo likes to read the paper first. He won't even hand over the sections he's not reading to let me read them until after he's done. It's the strangest thing, and I laugh at him for it constantly. That said, he doesn't dare do the sudoku puzzle. It's mine! Oh, and you should have heard the talk over who was parking where! LOL!

My mother's best advice: Learn all his faults and decide if you can live with them. If you decide you can, then do, because he's not going to change.


	43. Chapter 43 Lodge

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Lodge  
**Dialogue Flex**: "Hey!" she protested.

* * *

The rest of the week went by in a blur of learning my new job, packing up my apartment and 'discussing' with Edward where everything would be put. I hadn't answered him on the whole 'when are we going to have children' question. Mainly because the very idea of getting married was so new that planning for children simply overwhelmed me. Thankfully he understood and was allowing me to deal with one major upheaval of my life at a time. Surprisingly it was my dad who brought the subject up again.

It was Friday, and we took off from work early to make the drive to Forks to have dinner with him. When Charlie had asked if Sue Clearwater could come I happily agreed, teasing him that it would be fun to double with my dad. We were at the Lodge, eating sub-par prime rib, when Charlie asked the question that made me choke on my drink.

"Are you pregnant?"

Gasping, with Edward lightly hitting my back, I shook my head. "We're waiting," he said as I tried to breathe. "Right now the wedding is enough to deal with."

"Well, I wouldn't mind being a grandpa now," he said with a hopeful gleam in his eye. "I love you Bells, and because of that I always wanted more kids." He leaned back in his seat and took Sue's hand with a smile. "Sue has grandkids now, and they're fun to play with, I guess I just want some of my own."

Edward's smile was beaming as he looked at me, but I just rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, I want children, eventually," I told him, adding in a whisper, "if I survive the wedding."

He leaned in to whisper in my ear, his breath soft and sending shivers down my spine, "I'm sure you'll survive, and most of the fun is in making the children. We can get in lots of practice."

I blushed deeply, especially when I realized Sue had heard. "Hey!" she protested laughingly, "No talking about sex in front of your dad. This is hard enough on him as it is."

"Please," I taunted back, "as if you two are only at the hand-holding stage. When are you getting married?"

My father's look of surprise would have been funny if he wasn't sputtering, making me fear he might have a stroke. Sue wasn't as worried. "Oh, calm down Charlie. Your girl's an adult now, she knows all about sex."

"Well, not _all _about sex," Edward said under his breath, but it was loud enough for Sue's ears.

"You're not sleeping together?" she asked, leaning forward, disbelief written all over her face. "Why not?"

"Sue," my dad interrupted, fighting a smile, "if they want to wait that's admirable." The look he gave Edward was friendlier than ever.

Edward smiled back. "I just figured if she waited this long, what's a few more weeks?"

Sue turned to me. "You're still a virgin?" she hissed. Thankfully the noise level in the restaurant was loud enough that I could barely hear her. After nodding she shook her head, leaned on her arms and looked me straight in the eye. "Let me get this straight. You're dating that," she asked, waving her hand up and down in front of Edward, "and you haven't attacked him yet?"

I shook my head and she gaped at me. Then she looked speculative and turned to Edward. "Are you impotent?"

"Sue!" I yelled. That was heard throughout the entire restaurant. Naturally I managed to yell it during a lull in everybody's conversation. They all looked over to see me blushing furiously, Edward squirming uncomfortably, my father laughing in his coffee and Sue gaping at us. What they could possibly be thinking was beyond me, but I certainly didn't want them knowing the truth. "He's not impotent!" I hissed.

"How do you know?" my dad asked, causing me to blush. Now he was staring daggers at Edward.

When I glanced at Edward he was smiling. Mimicking Sue's stance he leaned forward on the table and looked at my father. "Charlie, are you telling me that kissing Sue doesn't excite you?" he asked. My mouth gaped open at his chutzpah, and I saw my father reach for his non-existent gun.

Sue was now laughing loudly. "I can answer that one," she giggled, a slight red tinge showing under her caramel skin.

"Yes, well," my dad said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "How are the wedding plans going? Do I need to write a check?"

"Smooth subject change, dad," I teased. He just looked at me pointedly, and wanting to change it just as much I went along. Sitting up in my seat, with my arms folded around my stomach I smiled. "No checks needed, dad, we're fine. I just need you to get fitted for a tux next week."

"Penguin suit," he grumped, making Sue chuckle.

"You'll look dashing," she said, patting his knee. "What are your colors?"

The rest of the meal we talked about wedding plans and house hunting. Before long we were walking out to our cars and I was hugging Charlie and Sue goodbye. "I'm glad you're seeing my dad," I whispered into Sue's ear. "Take care of him for me?"

"My pleasure, sweetie," she whispered back, hugging me warmly. "Still can't believe you haven't jumped that boy yet."

* * *

Sorry so short. My daughter and grandson moved in with us so it's been busy at my house as we get them settled.


	44. Chapter 44 Lift

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Lift  
**Plot Generator – Idea Completion**: "You shredded that…"

* * *

It was really late when we got back from dinner with Charlie and Sue. Edward had to wake me from a sound sleep to get me out of the car, and I had a vague recollection of him handing me a t-shirt to change into. One thing I was sure of was that it wasn't his guest room I was waking up in.

His arm was draped over my waist and his head next to mine as he slept. Taking the moment I really looked at the man next to me. A day's growth of beard covered a very chiseled jaw. High cheekbones gave an angular look, strong and masculine. His eyebrows were a bit heavy, and I had to giggle as I wondered if he would have to trim them when he was older.

"What about my face are finding particularly amusing this morning?" he whispered, still not opening his eyes.

"How do you know I'm looking at your face?" I asked. "Or that it has anything to do with why I'm laughing?"

"I can feel your breath, meaning you're looking my way and have been for some time," he answered, his eyes still closed. They may have stayed still but his hand wasn't. What was once draped across me now pulled in, his fingers playing with the bottom of his t-shirt that had ridden up to my waist. There was nothing below that, clotheswise anyway, but my panties. It may have been the shirt he played with, but the feeling of his fingers moving along the skin of my stomach was definitely affecting my breathing. He smiled as he felt it.

Hoping to divert him from what he was doing I answered his original question. "I was wondering if we would have to trim your eyebrows when you're old. They're already bushier than your dad's."

One eye popped open as he fought a smile. It was dancing with amusement, but then changed to a mischievous leer. Slowly I felt him lift the shirt up my stomach, his fingers light and almost tickling, but he never broke my gaze. In response, as I tried to not to allow my breathing to go out of control, I lifted one eyebrow in challenge, but didn't move anything else. After a few inches he stopped, or so I thought.

Instead of his hand moving his body did. Breaking his gaze from mine he pushed down the covers with his nose, barely brushing over my breasts, before settling on my now-bare stomach. He was still facing me, but his eyes were closed again. The hand that had been playing with my shirt was now draped over my hips, the fingers playing with the top edge of my panties on the outside of my hip. His other hand resumed the duty of playing with the hem of my shirt which was now resting just below my breasts. "You're quite comfortable," he said. I could barely breathe. "Tell me your favorite memory?" he asked.

"Before this one?" I replied. The hand not on his back clamped over my mouth in surprise over what I said as he began to chuckle and nod. Looking down I could see his eyes looking up to mine through the valley between my breasts. They would glance aside, taking in the slight rise before returning to my face. "When you came over to talk to me at the Christmas work party. I couldn't believe you left your family and associates to talk to me again. You normally don't do that."

He sighed, his warm breath going under my shirt and causing a visceral reaction. My breathing caught as my nipples hardened instantly. He noticed, but quickly looked away. "I got in trouble for that."

"Why?"

"I was supposed to stay away from you."

Now I was confused. "Why?"

Rising up on his elbows, one on either side of me, he looked at me with disbelief. "You still don't know? " I shook my head, and he shook his in turn. "I was interested in you then, but you were like forbidden fruit because you worked for me. Maybe not directly, but I had influence over your career." Cringing a little he added, "It's why I was somewhat cold to you whenever we interacted, because what I really wanted was to ask you out. Sorry about that."

My guppy impersonation was back. I gaped at him, not knowing what to say. "When your mom introduced herself as my future mother-in-law I realized that maybe, just maybe, I had a chance." His eyes were now boring into mine, pleading for understanding. "I hoped that you picked me because you felt something too."

"That's still no reason for marrying me. What if I wasn't the person you dreamed me to be?"

He shrugged, then started tracing along the bottom of my ribs with his fingers. "It was a chance I was willing to take. Talking with Paul, the security guard?" he paused, making sure I knew to whom he was referring. When I nodded he continued on. "He said riding with you every night was a pleasure, because you were so sweet. I was also counting on his opinion."

I was at a loss for what to say, but that could have been because his lips had joined his fingers in moving along the bottom of my ribcage. As he kissed his way up to the center, nosing the shirt higher to give him better access, I might have moaned. The fingers that hadn't stopped playing with the top of my panties shifted to grip my hip, and he pushed the shirt higher, placing kisses on my sternum.

Eventually the shirt was high enough to uncover the bottom of my breasts, revealing the crease where they began. Seeing this he left my sternum and moved to place kisses along that edge, his tongue darting out to trace the crease. His hand let go of my hip and moved along the top of my panties to the center, where he dipped his fingers just slightly underneath.

My breathing was out of control as I gave in to the fire coursing through me at his touch. No longer did I hold still, but now moved, trying to push my hips up, trying to get his fingers to move down. When his lips made contact with the sensitive skin at the bottom of my breast, the whiskers lightly scratching, I gasped loudly and moaned his name.

His fingers spread out, pushing down my hips as he lifted his mouth from my skin, panting just as heavily as me. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have," he said hoarsely as he pulled down the shirt.

"I wasn't complaining, but I might start," I whispered, trying to move my hips again. His hand pulled out from the top of my underwear and returned to my outside hip, holding it still.

"Please stop moving, Bella," he groaned, making me aware of a certain part of his anatomy now hard against my thigh.

"Sorry," I whispered, my breathing starting to slow. Abruptly he rolled off of me and onto his back, leaving me feeling bereft at the loss of his warmth.

"It's my fault," he said, running his hand over his face. "I suppose we should get up?" I giggled, which caused him to chuckle. "I meant out of bed." He glanced down at my body and clenched his teeth. "Um, would you please pull down your shirt?"

My hands went to it, but it fell apart at the bottom in my fingers. "You shredded it," I exclaimed, holding up the bottom to show him.

"It was old," he said, smiling as he reached for it. "I think it looks better this way, don't you?"

"You would," I laughed, swatting his hand away. "What are we doing today?"

"I'm sure my sister has plans," he said, groaning.

* * *

Edward's revealing a little more, and not just Bella's body, LOL! Happy Monday!


	45. Chapter 45 Exploit

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Exploit

* * *

It was Saturday, so Alice planned to have us running. Any thought that we might get out of anything were quickly squashed when she started knocking on the door. Repeatedly. Edward had just gotten out of the shower, having let me go first, when I opened the door to a squealing Alice.

"Guess what, guess what, guess what?" she said, bouncing and clapping.

My mind had been on Edward's revelation this morning, wondering just how long he had been watching me, worrying that he might be using my lie to exploit his chances with me. What if his opinion of me was wrong and I wasn't the girl he dreamed me to be? In a few years, when the excitement of infatuation wore off would he still want me? The last thing I wanted was to end up like my parents, divorced.

As a result, my response was rather lackluster. "Hello Alice."

She deflated immediately. "What's the matter?" she asked as an arm came around my waist from behind.

"We're just tired of running around," Edward said from behind me. In the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me, concerned. "How much do we need to do today?" he asked his sister who was now walking down the hall.

"No running around, we can pick out everything on your computer!" she gushed, ignoring my response as she headed to the small office Edward had set up.

I started to follow her, but was held back. "What's the matter?" Edward asked me. "I know it's not my sister, but you've seemed a little off since we got out of bed. Are you upset with me for going too far?"

My stomach twisted, because the idea of confronting him made me a little sick. Still, there was no time like the present for setting a precedent of openness, no matter how difficult the topic. "It's not so much that I'm upset with you, as something you said."

It was obvious he was thinking of our conversation, a small frown appearing on his face. "What was it?" he finally asked.

"That you were told to stay away from me. How long have you been watching me?"

He stiffened, his face blushing slightly as he looked down and shifted his weight. I just waited, not wanting to push, but not wanting to give in either. After a few minutes he spoke. "Since you fell into my arms on your first day."

Part of me was appalled, the other flattered. The appalled part spoke first. "Are you just trying to use this to get me to marry you?" I hissed. "I'm really afraid you're in love with who you think I am. I don't want to be divorced in a few years, Edward, and I'm afraid if I don't live up to who you think I am we will be." Tears of frustration and fear were starting to form in my eyes. Down the hall I could see Alice step out, but seeing us she quickly went back into the office.

"What makes you think I don't know who you really are?" he asked, his eyes pleading. "If anyone should be worried it's me. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting into, having watched you for two years, but you're just jumping in without having a clue of who I am."

He was right. I didn't know who he was. Yes, his touch sent a shock of desire through me and his kisses made me forget to breathe, but how important was that if we had fundamental differences? I had no knowledge of his religion, politics, expectations, hopes, dreams, or even what his favorite candy bar was. How would he react if we disagreed? Would there be yelling? Granted we had compromised on a few wedding details, and the car, but what if it were something important, like how to discipline a child?

The more I thought the faster my breathing became. The pleading in his eyes turned to fear, then resolve. "Alice!" he called, "Bella and I are going out. We need to talk."

To my utter surprise she just waved her hand at us and said, "Have fun!"

"Is she feeling all right?" I asked as he towed me from the apartment and into the elevator.

His chuckle was warm. "She could see we were having trouble." Sighing he wrapped his arms around me, and even though I was feeling at odds with what we were doing, this felt comfortable and safe. He felt me relax. "What are you feeling?"

"Safe and comfortable," I answered, resting my head on his chest. I felt his nod and intake of breath, but the elevator doors opened so he let me go and pulled me out to the car. As soon as I was buckled in he took off, driving for the ferry. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see," he said, then rebuffed any inquiries with a shake of his head and a smile. After a few minutes of this I started to become annoyed, but seeing this he lifted my hand to his lips. "Please be patient," he whispered against them.

Ten minutes later he pulled into a nice gated neighborhood. The houses weren't overly large, even with the three-car garages. The yards were nicely landscaped, but not small, giving plenty of room for children, of which there were many, to run about. Our passing through disrupted a spirited game of tag, but the kids ran for the sides of the street until we passed, waving and calling 'nice car!' from where they waited. He drove around the neighborhood, passing by a newer looking elementary school. Pointing in the distance he showed me the middle school and said that the high school was just a couple miles away. Judging from the trees the community was fairly well established.

"What do you think?" he asked, looking around.

"It's pretty much perfect," I said, "but what does this have to do with us?"

He pulled into a driveway with a For Sale sign in the front yard. "I think it's pretty much perfect as well, and have been considering buying this house." Shutting off the engine he turned to me. "What this has to do with us is that I think we have far more in common than you realize. Whenever you express your opinion it's very close to mine. There will be things we disagree on, but so far we've done a fairly good job of working through those.

"Bella, I've watched you for over two years, and everything I've learned has only made me love you more. I know it's too soon for you to love me, I'm only asking that you take a risk. Granted, it's a huge risk, and it's completely against your personality to do something like this, but take this leap with me, please?" His eyes were pleading again, sucking me in and making me want to nod, but I had to be practical. Just because we shared opinions and tastes didn't guarantee anything. Then again, it was probably more of a guarantee than people who quickly fall madly in love, only to fall out of it just as quickly, ever had.

"I'm scared," I admitted, hanging my head.

"Good, that means you'll try harder," he whispered, placing a finger under my chin to lift it up. "I'm terrified, but when I hold you all I feel is how right it is. So do you, does that help?"

Looking into his deep green eyes I knew what he meant. When my mind didn't get away from me and I found myself in his arms, all I felt was peace. Even when the fear started what I really wanted was for him to hold me. "Is it open?" I asked, pointing to the house. "I don't want to buy a place I don't like."

His smile was breathtaking as he pulled out his phone and called. A quick conversation, telling the owners we were actually in the driveway, resulted in the front door opening and us being waved in. As we walked hand in hand to the front door I leaned over and whispered, "Edward? This goes down as making decisions without me."

He chuckled and moved to kiss my temple, but spoke instead. "Nonsense, I haven't put in an offer yet. Although, we can do that tonight if you like." I just shook my head and reached out my hand to meet the owners, people he had obviously met before.

* * *

xoxo!


	46. Chapter 46 Mush

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Mush

* * *

A few hours later I had fully agreed with Edward that the house was perfect. We still didn't know how many children we wanted, or when we wanted them, but agreed that four bedrooms were probably as many as we'd need. I teased him that, knowing my luck, we would have quintuplets. His look of horror was fleeting as he swallowed and told me that if that happened the kids could share rooms. It was then I realized that maybe, just maybe, he was right and we would work.

On the way home he looked over to me and smiled. "You look more relaxed."

"I've decided you were right," I told him, smiling back at the handsome man that would be my husband in just a couple weeks. It was only seventeen days ago that my mother introduced herself to him and we had that conversation in his office. My, how fast life can change.

He chuckled. "I usually am, but about what in particular this time?"

"You and me, we can do this." No sooner were the words out of my mouth than Edward was swerving for the side of the road. I screamed his name, clutching the seat has he slammed on the brakes, feeling the seatbelt grab and hold. That was going to leave a bruise. Not that I cared because as soon as the car was in park he was grabbing my face and kissing me for all he was worth, which was apparently quite a bit.

I could feel my body being lifted and dragged across the console. "Please say you mean it," he whispered against my cheek as he kissed his way to my eyes. "You really are going to marry me?"

"I was always going to," I pointed out. "I'm just scared."

"How about I try to convince you some more?" he said right before his lips claimed mine. One hand was in my hair and the other was holding me hard against his chest as he calmed the urgency of his kisses enough to drive me wild. Our lips molded together and a moan escaped both of us when his tongue swept across my lips.

Within minutes my brain had turned to mush. All I could feel were his lips on mine, the softness of his hair as my fingers slid through it, and the decidedly hard lump pressed against the outside of my hip. I could easily spend all my time kissing Edward.

Sometime later I became aware of a knocking sound. "Go away, Alice," Edward said, only breaking from my lips for a second. It didn't work; the knocking came again, only louder. "Alice, I said go away," he repeated a bit more emphatically.

Without warning the door was open, and if Edward didn't have hold of the back of my neck I would have spilled out of the car. As it was half my body was hanging out, Edward's hand having left my thigh to grab my arm. Blinking I looked up into a face silhouetted against the sun. "I assure you, my name isn't Alice," a deep, amused voice said from over my head.

It was hard to focus with the light in my eyes but the outline seemed to form up to something familiar. "Oh, crap," I said, recognizing it as a police officer. My invective seemed to amuse him more.

"Would you two care to tell me the reason for making out in your car on the side of the road?" he asked.

As my brain engaged further I noticed that red and blue lights were flashing against his face. He was probably Charlie's age. Edward pulled me up, but it was too fast and the angle was wrong. My head made contact with the doorframe with a resounding crack. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" I began to cry, my hand instantly moving to cover the injury, rubbing the spot.

"Oh, no! Bella, no," Edward cried, trying to move me so that he could look, but I was twisting in the wrong direction and managed to clip the steering wheel with the other side of my head.

Strong hands grabbed me from behind and pulled me off of Edward's lap and out of the car, setting me carefully on my feet. "Please walk to the front of the car, ma'am. Sir, please step out of the vehicle," the officer demanded. I knew that tone, Charlie got it often. Edward looked as confused as I felt as he was directed to step towards the trunk. He tried to ask if I was all right, but was cut off and told to stay put.

The officer stalked over to me, put a hand on my arm and asked, "Ma'am, just nod yes or no. Do you feel safe with him?"

"What?" I asked, not understanding at all what he could possibly be asking.

"Ma'am, you're safe with me, and you can tell me the truth. Does he usually hurt you?" His eyes were travelling down my arms, taking in the bruise I got from running into Edward's dining room table as well as the one on my leg that resulted from banging into the coffee table.

Laughter bubbled up inside of me at the accusation. Edward, who seemed to have overheard, looked mortified, which only added to my laughter. Pointing my finger at Edward I looked at the officer. "Him? Hurt me? Really?" I started laughing harder, one arm wrapping around my waist as I almost bent double.

My heels were still on, making me more unstable than usual and causing me to stumble against the car. The look on the officer's face changed. "Ma'am, have you been drinking?"

I leaned against the car, sobering up, metaphorically anyway. "Sir, as should be evident, I can't walk across a flat surface without tripping. I promise I'm perfectly sober and that he would never hurt me."

"Care to explain the bruises?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath I began on my leg and continued up my body. "Walking into the coffee table, bumping into a door frame, falling off the bed, backing into the shower spigots, knocking against the dining room table, dropping a book I was pulling down from the bookshelf, and walking into a door. I'm horribly clumsy."

Edward had started to walk forward and it drew the officer's attention. Pointing at him he told him to stay put. Turning back to me he asked again, "So you're saying he doesn't hurt you?"

"No sir, I promise. He doesn't hurt me."

"Care to explain what was happening in the car?" he asked.

My face started to burn in embarrassment. "Um, we were kissing?"

He raised one eyebrow. "And why were you doing that?"

I held up my left hand, showing him my ring. "I finally calmed down about getting married to him."

"So are you afraid of him or aren't you?" he whispered, not wanting Edward to hear. "Just nod or shake your head." I shook it forcefully. "Then why did you need to calm down about marrying him?"

"It's not him I'm afraid of, it's marriage." He looked at me and slowly started to smile. With a shake of his head he waved Edward back over.

"You two, lean against the car." As soon as Edward was next to me he ran his fingers down the sides of my face, wordlessly asking if I was all right. With a smile from me he relaxed, wrapped an arm around my waist to pull me securely into him and turned back to the officer who was shaking his head.

"First, no making out in the car, period. Trust me, even when you're doing it to hide from the kids, you'll get caught." We both chuckled at that, earning a sheepish smile from the officer. "Second, don't pull over to the side of the road unless something is wrong with the car or your child has taken off his seatbelt and you need to get it back on."

"See, he thinks we're going to have children pretty quick too," Edward chuckled, earning a light swat from me on his arm.

"Third, no hitting, ever, even in play," the officer said, pointing at us both. "You don't want to do something accidentally that you might regret." Edward and I looked at each other and grimaced, figuring he was probably right. "And last, get her inner ears checked. That might be the cause of her balance problem." Edward thought that was hilarious.

"Now, get in your car and get home," he pointed at Edward, "and no speeding. Congratulations, you two." With that he went back to his patrol car, his shoulders shaking with his laughter.

We quickly got back in our car, buckled up and pulled into traffic with the officer behind us. It was impossible not to laugh as he drove us back to his apartment. When we finally got there we all but fell into the front door, face to face with a very annoyed Alice. "Do you both have your phones off? I've been trying to reach you for hours!"

* * *

I have a friend who has crippling arthritis. She was on a medication for a while that caused her to form really big, black bruises whenever she barely hit something. Her husband is Jacob Black size. She told me once that an officer pulled her aside and asked if he beat her. He really is one of the gentlest guys I know, and her reaction was like Bella's, laughing so hard she almost fell over.


	47. Chapter 47 Resort

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Resort

* * *

"Sorry, Alice," Edward said as we walked past her to go to the office. "We needed to take care of a few things."

"Well, whatever it was you both seem more relaxed, so that's good," she said with a smile as she squeezed past us to sit in front of her laptop. "But, you had me worried! You always answer the phone Edward, and it was like you had it off or something. I was about to resort to calling the police!"

We both looked at each other and burst out laughing at that one. "What?" she asked, looking at us strangely. Edward quickly filled her in on our last adventure, to which she just rolled her eyes.

"Well, we have some last minute details to take care of, so pull up a chair and let's get to it!" We spent the next couple hours picking out my bouquet and the flowers that would be at the church, as well as the bridesmaid bouquet. Alice was the only one, so I just let her choose what she would like. The florist she had found had a fantastic website that even created virtual arrangements based on the flowers we picked. It was actually fun.

"Next week is your bachelor and bachelorette parties, so don't think about running away," she told us as she closed her computer up. "I'll be getting Bella at nine-thirty that morning for our spa day," she glared at me when I groaned, "_and _Emmett will get you Edward sometime that afternoon. You have to do last fittings on your tux and dress that afternoon, but then the rest of the night is ours!" She said the last with a twinkle in her eye.

"Alice, you aren't going to take her to a strip club, are you?" Edward asked, earning an eyeroll.

"Please, and possibly mess up her mani and pedi? No way! I promise, it will be tasteful." The look on her face did not inspire any confidence in her trustworthiness. She could tell we didn't quite believe her, so she added, "Mom and Renee will be there, how bad do you think it can be?"

"Emmett's planning mine, and dad will be there, consider that and ask the same question," he retorted.

"Hmm, good point, but this is _mom_. Trust me, it'll be fine." She reached up to grab his shirt, pulling him down to place a kiss on his cheek. She then gave me a big hug. "No more planning. It's all just making sure everything gets done now." My sigh of relief made her add, "Please, like it's been complete torture. Don't answer that!" With a wave she took off down the hall and let herself out.

Letting my head hang over the back of the chair in exhaustion I asked, "So does this mean we have the rest of the night to just relax?" With a twist of my head I could see that he was mirroring my position, looking at me just as I was looking at him.

"We need to unpack your boxes," he said, "and get some more of your stuff from your apartment."

"Why? We're only going to move them again in a month. I don't know why we had to move as much of my stuff out of my apartment as we did if you were just planning to move it all again soon." He actually looked chagrined.

"It seemed more real with your stuff here and I had no idea if you would actually go for buying the house." Considering my reluctance, I understood, so just smiled at him. With a groan he got to his feet and reached his hand out to me. "Come on, let's get some comfy clothes on, order a pizza and watch a movie. How does that sound?"

"Like heaven, but we may have to go to my apartment after all because I don't have any clean clothes here."

His smile broadened. "I don't mind you wearing mine. Or nothing, that would work too."

"What is it with you and getting me naked lately?" I laughed.

"Do you really have to ask me that?" Using the hand he was holding he pulled me into his arms. "I'm pretty sure I've made it clear how I feel about you. Getting you naked is a bonus, but I can wait. For now, I'm just happy having you here. We can run to your place and get you some clothes, if you like. We'll just keep them in the guest bedroom so you have a place to stay."

I was torn. Sleeping next to him was nice. Waking up next to him was wonderful. But, the temptation to jump him was becoming really strong. Would I be able to resist if I was just in another room, or should I stay in my own place? "What are you thinking?" he asked, using his fingers to tilt up my face.

"If I can keep my hands off of you if we live together," I admitted. Thankfully he took me seriously.

"Do you love me?" he asked. My eyes widened as I tried to figure out how to answer him.

"I care for you. I desire you. I don't know if it's love," I whispered, "but I'm sure that will come with time."

Placing a small kiss on my nose he said, "That's good enough for now. I promise to not give in to you attacking me until you love me, how about that?"

"What if it's not until long after we're married, though? That seems rather silly." It didn't help that I was ready to attack him now and was really looking forward to my wedding night, love or no love.

His smile was soft. "I guess I'll just have to be extra loveable, but I'm still willing to wait." He pulled away, dragging me behind him to his bedroom. "Until then, here are the clothes you've been sleeping in. Why don't you change in your room and I'll meet you at the couch?"

* * *

Remember, Bella is being careful with her heart. I know, she's marrying him, why be careful? Love isn't always logical.


	48. Chapter 48 Spray

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Spray  
**Dialogue Flex**: "That was bloody brilliant!" she exclaimed.

* * *

No sooner had I snuggled into Edward on the couch than there was a knock at the door. "That was quick," he muttered as he rose. "I just ordered the pizza like five minutes ago." Watching as he walked away from me it was impossible not to admire the view. Feeling my eyes on him he turned and winked. "Caught ya," he teased as I blushed furiously.

A moment later the unmistakable sound of Emmett greeting Edward reached my ears. "I hope you two aren't in bed yet, we came over to play!" he said. "Is Bella still dressed?"

"We were just about to watch a movie," Edward told them. "She's really tired, do you mind if I check if it's all right?" How sweet of him to want to be sure I was fine before inviting his own family in.

"It's all right! We just need to order more pizza," I called down the hall. It was always fun to spend time with Emmett, although there were some reservations over also being with Rosalie. Still, it was good to get to know them and how better to do it than with pizza and a movie? Well, other than dispensing with the movie and just talking, which I had a feeling was about to happen anyway.

The three of them walked into the room, Edward already on the phone amending the order. Rosalie gave me a tentative smile; she still wasn't sure of me but was trying. Emmett was quite effusive in his welcome, walking over and placing a loud, wet kiss on my cheek. "Oh, gross Emmett," I fussed, wiping it off. "That's just nasty."

"What? Is Edward the only one allowed to get you wet?" he teased, waggling his eyebrows up and down. My face went scarlet immediately, but Rosalie saved me.

"Emmett, quit bothering Bella. You're lucky your brother didn't hear that remark," she said, shaking her head.

"What remark?" Edward asked as he came from the kitchen carrying a couple bottles of soda.

"Your brother is making sexual euphemisms again," Rosalie said. "I think he's embarrassing Bella."

"Emmett, leave Bella alone," Edward said with a sigh, sitting next to me. "The pizza will be another twenty minutes; did you guys want to watch the movie or talk?"

"I hate having a movie interrupted, let's just talk," Rosalie suggested, getting nods all around. "So, Bella, how do you like your new job?"

Nothing like being put on the spot, but from the looks of the others this was normal coming from her. "Well, I miss my old one, I really liked editing, but I'm getting used to it. Carlisle is easy to work for, even if he's a bit tougher than Bob."

My answer apparently surprised her. "You prefer to edit? Why? This way you get to meet all the important people."

I took the glass of coke Edward offered me and sipped on it before answering, trying to get my mind wrapped around what I wanted to say. "I was always the girl who liked reading in her room, away from the parties and noise. I guess I'd rather read the important people's words than meet them. Besides," I added with a shrug, "they're just people."

Her look was speculative. "That's not what I was expecting," she said honestly. "I thought you took the job because you wanted to be important too, be seen, that kind of thing."

"She's not you, Rosalie," Edward said since I was sipping my drink again. "She's always been more of a wallflower, kind of retiring, you know?"

"So you like it up against the wall?" Emmett asked, his eyebrows once again in motion. Unfortunately my mouth was full of soda and I managed to spray it all over him as I coughed. "Hey!" he yelled as he jumped up, flicking the moisture off of him as he danced around. Rosalie and Edward were laughing, telling him it served him right, but I was mortified.

"Oh, crap, I'm so sorry!" I said as I rushed into the kitchen to get a washcloth for him. A laughing Rosalie followed me.

"That was bloody brilliant!" she exclaimed as she got some paper towels. "He needs to learn that not everyone likes that type of humor."

"I'm funny," Emmett complained, coming in after us and taking the cloth from my hands. "How was I supposed to know she would do an imitation of a fountain?"

"I really am sorry," I said, my face burning hot as I fished out another cloth and wetted it to clean up the mess in the living room.

Long fingers reached over my shoulder and took it from me. "I'll get out there," Edward said, still chuckling. "Emmett, why don't you go to my room and get a clean shirt?" He then reached for the paper towels in Rosalie's hands.

Emmett yanked his shirt over his head, bringing his arms down in a pose to flex his muscles. "I don't know, Bella might like a gun show, seeing as how you don't have much to offer, Edward."

"Out!" Rosalie and Edward both said, pointing out of the kitchen. Edward started rolling up the cloth as if he were going to snap it at his brother, and with a little shriek the big man raced from the room. Edward gave chase, and we knew when the cloth connected with skin because another shriek was heard from Emmett. It was impossible not to giggle when that girlish sound came from him.

"Sorry," I said, trying to quiet my laughter. One hand was wrapped around my middle and the other was over my mouth, but each time I replayed that sound over in my mind it was impossible to not laugh some more.

"Don't feel bad about laughing," a chuckling Rosalie said as she grabbed yet another cloth and wet it. "He's a big kid sometimes, and thrives on being the center of attention." She then started to wipe some soda off of her arm.

"Oh, Rosalie, did I get you too?" I asked, my blush returning as I fluttered around, wanting to help.

"It was worth it. I haven't seen him so surprised in a long time." She put the cloth down and turned to me with a small smile, looking somewhat chagrined. "I want to apologize, Bella."

"For what?" I asked, pulling out another bottle of soda and getting some plates and napkins for the pizza.

"For thinking you were a gold-digger," she said bluntly. "I've seen so many girls after my brother-in-law, but they were only after prestige and money."

"Oh, I don't know about that," I replied, blushing as I thought of Edward without a shirt on and the sight of him walking away from me. She caught my look.

"Well, I didn't want to imply you were a slut, but yes, some have been after him for that too," she said with a hard laugh. The she sighed. "I'm sorry again, I thought you might be like that as well. I was wrong."

My face was still burning and I couldn't quite look at her, so I busied myself with arranging the plates on a tray. "What made you change your mind?"

"Well, Alice said you were wearing white, and that Edward said if he had to wait for you then he got to see you in that color, so the slut part was obviously out." Most people didn't use forks and knives for pizza, but it would keep my eyes busy and away from her, so I moved to that drawer. "Then you prefer a menial job over a glamorous one that pays better, so I guess you aren't a gold-digger." I felt her fingers come around my arm, pulling my eyes to hers. "And it also means you aren't interested in fame. No wonder Edward loves you. Just don't break his heart, okay?"

"I don't plan on it," I told her, my eyes held by the violet color of hers. "I want a happy marriage, Rosalie. I just hope he still feels the same way about me in a few years."

We were cut off by the ringing of the doorbell, quickly followed by Emmett bellowing "FOOD!" as he took off for the front door.

"You'd think he never eats," Rosalie said, shaking her head. "Come on, we'd better grab it if we want any." I followed her out of the kitchen to see a smiling Edward wiping down the rest of the furniture. Emmett had his wallet out and was paying and Rosalie was putting around the plates. I'd never had a large family, but watching them all interact with such ease made me realize that this was what I was getting.

A feeling of warmth spread into my heart, and my arms wrapped around my stomach in response. Edward came over and unwrapped my hands, pulling them around his waist before enveloping me in his arms. "Why are you smiling?" he asked.

I looked up at his handsome face, taking in the look of adoration there. "I really like you," I whispered.

He chuckled and placed a soft kiss on my lips. "I really like you, too."

* * *

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Go Steelers! Dang, where did I put my towel...


	49. Chapter 49 Enchantment

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Enchantment

* * *

I managed to fall asleep partway through the movie. There were vague memories of saying goodnight to Emmett and Rosalie, and Edward carrying me to bed, but none of what the movie was actually about. Now there was a faint light in the room, morning was barely here, and a warm arm was around my waist. Once again he had put me in his bed.

Turning onto my back I took the opportunity to watch him sleep. This was definitely becoming a habit, not that I minded in the least. In response to my movement he shifted, his hand rising and cupping my breast as he let out a soft groan. My hand immediately went to his to move it down, but then the memory of the last time that was attempted filtered through. At least we weren't on the couch, and there seemed to be plenty of room in case another wrestling match ensued, so I gave it a little tug. This time it had the expected result as his hand returned to my waist. My mind instantly began vacillating between accomplishment and disappointment.

A few minutes later he rolled over, freeing me completely from his grasp. Seizing the opportunity I jumped from the bed, rushed through the bathroom and headed for the kitchen. Who would have thought that Emmett would eat an entire large pizza by himself? Between him and Edward, Rosalie and I barely had three slices. My stomach was grumbling as a result.

While I had been in Edward's kitchen on numerous occasions, this was the first time I would attempt to actually cook in it. The good news was that it was obviously a woman who had stocked it as there was every necessary cooking item available. Thankfully he also had gone shopping recently, so in no time I had managed to pull together the ingredients to make waffles.

When the first of the batter hit the iron I grabbed the bacon I had put in the sink to defrost out of the now chilled water. He actually had an electric griddle, so I plugged that in to warm while I separated out the bacon into slices.

More digging turned up a pitcher and a can of frozen orange juice concentrate, so that was also mixed in between turning bacon and cooking more waffles. A tune started to form in my mind, and I hummed along as I flitted between the iron, the griddle and setting the table. At one point there was a moment when nothing needed to be done immediately so I opened the front door and grabbed the newspaper, gently slipping the rubber band off to set it next to Edward's plate.

Finally everything was ready, the only thing missing was Edward. Smiling to myself I turned, and ran straight into his chest. "I've been watching you for fifteen minutes," he said, lowering his lips to mine as his hands ran up my arms to capture my face. "It's like an enchantment, the way you move in the kitchen, getting everything ready, you have me utterly charmed." I would have responded, but my lips found something better to do than speak at that moment.

His fingers wove into my hair, pulling me up slightly as he kissed me soundly. A small groan escaped my lips as my hands ran around his waist, wanting to pull his body against mine. Taking a step forward he pushed me back into a chair that had been pulled out slightly, following me down so that our lips never parted.

A few minutes later he pulled away. "I'm sure it's getting cold," he whispered, waving to the food, "and as delicious as you taste I'd hate to have all your hard work be for naught."

"Oh, I feel fully compensated," I said with a grin as he got off of his knees from in front of me. Odd, I hadn't noticed he was kneeling before.

"But it's waffles!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Do you know they are my favorite breakfast food?"

"They are?" I asked, handing him some real maple syrup I'd found in the fridge and warmed in the microwave. He slowly poured it over the pool of butter that had melted, spreading out the combination with his knife.

"Mmhmm," he said, nodding, paying particular attention to the fact that each and every square had a little bit of butter and a small swimming pool of syrup. "Especially with bacon, although, strawberries and whipped cream are always wonderful, in case you're ever inclined."

I watched, highly amused, as he proceeded to cut his waffle perfectly along the ridgeline of a section, leaving the little pools of butter and syrup intact. First he cut them one way, then the other, so that he was left with rectangles that were one square wide and two long. Then he grabbed another and started to work on it. "Are you going to eat or just sit there and laugh at me?" he asked, not raising his eyes from his careful knife-work.

"Is this part of your obsession with having things just so?" I teased, far too mesmerized by what he was doing to even think about eating.

An eyebrow quirked up. "I'm doing this to distract myself from the thought of pouring this warm syrup on you and licking it up. Besides, I've always eaten my waffles this way."

"Have you ever had a hot one?" It was easy to see his look of confusion at my question, so I continued. "It's just that I'd imagine your food would be cold by the time you were done."

"And your food is growing cold now. Why don't you stop your silly questions by putting food in your mouth?" He was now done with his meticulous preparation of his waffles and demonstrated his suggestion by putting one of the pieces in his mouth.

The temptation was simply too great. Cutting off a haphazard piece of pastry I stabbed it with my fork, then reached across and dunked it into one of his perfect pools of butter and syrup. This caused the liquid to spill out of his carefully constructed piece. The incredulous look on his face as he realized I had completely destroyed part of his setup was more than I could take, and I started laughing in spite of the large piece of waffle now in my mouth.

His eyes narrowed as he looked at his plate, then over to me, and then back at his plate. "You messed up my waffle. You must pay."

Faster than I thought possible he was out of his seat, grabbing me around my waist and pulling me over him to the floor. His fingers instantly started to search out ticklish spots, making me scream as I tried to get away. Rolling over me he pinned me to the floor, holding both hands in one of his as he took advantage of the one spot he found on my stomach.

"Stop!" I screamed, trying to writhe away from him.

"Promise not to mess up my waffle anymore?" he laughed, tormenting me some more.

"I promise!" I cried, trying still to get away.

His fingers stilled on my stomach, leaving me free to catch my breath. We panted for a moment, interspersed with residual chuckles as he lowered his head to rest his forehead on mine. "Thank you for making me breakfast."

"You're welcome, thank you for your butter-syrup mixture."

He smiled. "Would you like me to make some for you?"

"Nope, I like stealing yours better."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Just as long as you don't mind the payment, it's all yours."

* * *

A little playtime! Happy Monday!


	50. Chapter 50 Unconventional

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Unconventional

* * *

"You realize we're going to be on our honeymoon in two weeks, right?" Edward asked as he started cleaning the kitchen. I'd begun, but he insisted that since I had cooked he should clean. Figuring that was a good precedent to set up, I let him.

"Yes, why?" I answered, sitting at the table and enjoying the view of him bent over the dishwasher.

"Just that we only really started seeing each other two weeks ago, and now only have two weeks until we're married. I know it's unconventional, but I gotta say I'm excited."

"About the marriage or the honeymoon?" I teased, getting a wink in reply. "I must say, I'm not surprised, since you've apparently been stalking me for two years."

"You love it and you know it," he replied, adding detergent to the dishwasher and closing it. He walked over to where I was sitting on the chair, pushed one arm aside and sat in my lap.

"What are you doing?" I laughed as he put his arms around my neck. My arms went around his waist, trying to hold him there.

"Well, since we're being unconventional…"

"If you think I'm going to carry you over a threshold, you're out of your mind." My fingers dug into his side, looking for a ticklish spot. The look he gave me was warning that if I didn't want to end up on the floor again then I should probably stop. With a smile he stood up, reached out his hand to me, and pulled me up beside him. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Yep, office," he replied. "There's some things we need to discuss."

"Such as?"

"Such as beneficiary forms for life insurance, living wills, passwords for accounts, boring stuff that's important." It's possible a groan of boredom escaped my lips, but he was right. Pulling me onto his lap, a much more comfortable seating arrangement, he brought up a protected word document. "This is my list of accounts and passwords. There is a printout of it in a safety deposit box, but you need access." We spent the next few hours going over everything, including making a separate document for me to list all my accounts and passwords. His lawyer had sent over quick-deeds, making it so that anything he owned could be put in my name immediately if something happened to him. Since I had insisted his name was on the title for my car, that wasn't needed for me.

"Do you want a pre-nup?" I asked, gaping at his accounts.

"Remember the first night, when I met your mom?" he replied, looking at me. When I nodded he continued. "If you recall, I said that if you'd do this then I'd make sure you got half of everything. I knew then you were it for me, so I don't care. If you'd like one…" he trailed off, offering it to me. I just shook my head. The decision was made, he was it for me. Love would come later, if it hadn't already.

My hand ached from signing forms by the time we stopped. "Is that everything?" I asked, amazed there could be so much paperwork involved in melding two people's lives.

"Everything that doesn't require a notary," he said. "We can have Mrs. Cope notarize the rest tomorrow." Then a huge smile came onto his face. "This is really happening, isn't it?"

"If not then I'm going to charge you for the carpel tunnel surgery required after signing my name fifty million times." His laugh was warm in response as he reached out for me. We had changed position over the hours, moving from his desk chair, over to the dining room table, back to the office, and were now on the couch with a pile of manila folders on the coffee table in front of us.

His eyes roamed around to the places we'd been working. "You know, after we're married, I think I'd like to make love to you on every surface we've worked at today."

The gaping was back. Sometimes he said the craziest things that were so totally unexpected. Catching my incredulous look he winked. "Got ya!"

"Yeah? I think you're serious!" I said, giving him a little shove.

A glint appeared in his eyes. "Maybe a little. We could practice, you know."

"And how do you propose we practice for making love without actually doing it?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

He took hold of my wrists and pulled my hands behind his back, wrapping my arms around him. "Like this." With that whisper his lips met mine and he pushed me gently onto my back. Letting go of my wrists his hands travelled to my hair, holding my face gently as he kissed me. After a few minutes of doing that he trailed his lips to my jaw, letting me breathe as his fingers traced under the hem of my shirt. "Do you know you talk in your sleep?"

At those words my entire body froze. My mother had teased me relentlessly when I was young about this, saying she never had to ask me anything I didn't want to answer because the truth would come out in my sleep. "What did I say?" I asked, petrified at what the answer might be.

"Hmm, you really don't know?" He seemed highly amused by this. "I could tell you anything and you'd have to believe me."

"Just tell me what I said, Edward," I pleaded, not wanting to sound desperate but knowing it did.

The warmth of his breath as he chuckled sent chills down my body. "Nope, you'll have to guess."

"Will you give me a hint?" I panted as his lips started to trail down the neckline of my shirt.

"It had something to do with me," he said. "Something about feelings."

It wasn't hard to figure out what it was. It was something I'd been feeling for a couple days, but wasn't sure of. Maybe my subconscious knew something I didn't want to admit. But we were getting married. I was tying myself to him forever. How bad could it be to trust this?

"I love you," I whispered.

* * *

Edward knew if she spent every spare minute with him that he could win her over. To paraphrase Jacob Black: It's impossible to resist that kind of love and adoration.


	51. Chapter 51 Tease

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Tease

* * *

It's official. Edward is a tease. Each morning he wakes me up with kisses, fingers trailing across the top of my pajama bottoms, driving me crazy. At lunch he pulls me into his office to eat with him. Alice complained that if I keep losing weight my dress won't fit, so now he just kisses me along my jawline until my food is consumed before he allows my lips to meet with his. Every evening, no matter where we are, his fingers are touching me. My arm, my leg, my waist, hip, hand, face, anywhere considered 'safe' is subjected to his gentle caress.

All that, only to pull away, and then go to work or sleep, leaving me desperate for more.

And as if that weren't torture enough, he's started to ask me how we should decorate the nursery. Of course he asked this in front of his family, a playful smile on his lips and his eyes twinkling. Esme blushed and stammered that she would be happy to help and asked when I was due. It was then I realized that the teasing wasn't only for me, because when I told her the baby should come in about two years she got really confused. It was worth it, though, because when she figured out what I meant and slapped her son's arm.

Laughing was a bad idea, though, because that was when Rosalie asked if that meant we were still waiting for the wedding night. Emmett hasn't left me alone since then. Of course, he hasn't left Edward alone either. Poor Mrs. Cope has suffered the most, sadly, because Emmett signed us up for prophylactic samples on some porn site, and she's been receiving and delivering them.

By Friday she had decided it needed to end, so in full violation of the company internet use policy went searching for gay dating sites and signed him up. Naturally she put all the calls through. When I asked her if Rosalie would be upset she laughed and told me to watch. Is it possible to laugh so hard you tear a muscle? Because when Rosalie got on the phone with one prospective suitor she started giving out measurements that no one but she should know.

I made a vow at that time to never upset Mrs. Cope or get into a prank war with any member of Edward's family. On Saturday I was terrified of what the girls would do to me for my bachelorette party.

Edward had finally agreed that us sleeping in separate beds until our wedding night was a good idea, considering the morning boob grab was getting more intimate and harder to resist. So waking that morning to find someone else in my bed was a surprise.

"Finally!" Rosalie said, laying beside me. "Alice got tired of waiting, and Edward told us we had to let you sleep, so I was assigned to wait here for you to wake up."

"Because she was afraid if you waited in the living room I might sneak out?" I asked groggily.

Rosalie's laugh was musical. "I would if it were me." Then she became thoughtful, "Well, maybe not for the spa part. That's going to be great."

With a groan I rolled onto my back beside her. "What is she going to have done to me? Won't it all wear off by the wedding?"

"Nah, she'll have you plucked, waxed and buffed to within an inch of your life. Trust me, you'll still be glowing by the time your wedding rolls around."

A squeal in the doorway alerted us that Alice noticed I was awake. She launched herself across the room, landing on the bed between us with a laugh. "Did Edward keep you up late last night?" she asked. "It's almost eight in the morning! We need to get going."

"Gee, Alice, eight on a Saturday morning. What was I thinking for sleeping so late?" She gave me a little shove, which helped me roll out of the bed. "Do I get to take a shower?"

"Nope, just put on clothes," she told me, hopping up behind me and pulling Rosalie from the bed. "We'll be soaking in tubs, so you'll be clean enough by the time we're through."

Hurrying into my clothes I stumbled out of my room into Edward's arms. "Please tell me I'll get to see you again today," I begged as he pulled me in close.

"Emmett's pretty sure he knows where the girls are taking you and plans to crash later," he whispered, keeping an eye on his sister to make sure she hadn't heard.

"At least he's not taking you to a strip club," I mumbled, getting a laugh.

"Rosalie threatened to castrate him, I think," he replied. Snorting a laugh of my own I felt better, mostly because I was ninety percent sure she would carry through with it if he tried anything.

A couple hours later I had plotted Alice's demise in full, colorful detail. It would start with plucking every single hair from her body, one by one, just as she had asked the beautician to do to me. Granted, a large amount of wax had been used on my legs, underarms, and brows, but then the smiling girl had gone back to pluck out anything that the wax didn't get.

Not long after that I was thanking her. We were all on tables, receiving the most relaxing massage I'd ever gotten. At least it was relaxing until Rosalie decided to speak.

"Are you and Edward still waiting?" she asked. Her shoulders shook with mirth when I hummed my reply. "Wow, I'm impressed. I jumped Emmett on our first date."

"Ew, Rosalie, that's my brother!" Alice chided.

"Please, like you were any better with Jasper!" she shot back, still laughing. "Bella, you mean Edward hasn't touched you at all?"

"Um," I started, wondering if sleep touching counted, but before any other sound came from my mouth I was cut off by Alice and Rosalie both gasping in shock.

"Spill, girl!" Rosalie said, but looking over I could see that Alice's face was turned into a grimace.

"Um, he has a tendency to, um, touch me in his sleep." Both girls squealed and were shushed by the ladies giving us massages. I was never so happy to put my face back down in the little hole so my masseuse could work on my neck.

"And when he's awake?" Rosalie pressed.

"Then his hands just go to the edges of my clothing." I told them about how he had been tormenting me, which caused another round of giggling squeals to ensue, along with pronouncements that we were going shopping as soon as we were done. If my brain had been working I would have known to protest, instead I was forcibly dragged into Victoria's Secret a few hours later.

"I am so not wearing that!" I exclaimed when a navy blue lace number was thrown over the side.

"Just try it on!" came the giggling duet. It was followed by piece after piece, until my stomach was complaining loudly from the lack of food and I was adamantly telling them about it. All my protests came to an end when they handed over a silk pajama set in navy that was perfect for me. The tank top had spaghetti straps, barely came to the bottom of my ribs, and had a hint of a sweetheart neckline. The bottoms rode on my hips, but were long enough to not have to worry about giving a peep show when I bent over.

My door opened and two pairs of eyes danced merrily. "Here," Alice said, handing me a bustier and a jacket, "put this on with your jeans. We know the boys will be showing up tonight, and I think it's time Edward got some payback, don't you?"

* * *

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It was a craptastic day.


	52. Chapter 52 Steadfast

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Steadfast  
**Dialogue Flex**: "I'm yours," he murmured.

* * *

"Please tell me we're not going to a bar," I whined when we finally left the spa. Alice's eyes rolled so hard there was real fear they might get stuck in the back of her head. "I just don't like bars. They're smelly, the guys hit on you, and I'm too old to want to get drunk."

"Some trust, please?" Alice said as Rose giggled. "Besides, I already got this lecture from Edward."

"Then where are we going?" It was dark so there was no telling where we were, much less where we were heading.

"My parent's house. It's more of a bridal shower, really," Rose told me. "They wanted to meet you, and this way you get killer presents from all the blue-bloods."

"But we don't need anything," I said, trailing off when I saw the surprised looks on their faces. "Really, we already have everything, what more could they give us?"

Rose snickered. "Trust me, you'll like it."

We were greeted at the door where I was introduced to a gushing Mrs. Hale. She even air-kissed me on both cheeks. It was probably good she didn't make contact because I was biting the inside of one of them to keep from laughing.

The girls ushered me into the living room where there was quite a group congregated. Alice produced a small tiara and a sash that read 'the bride' which I steadfastly refused to wear until Mrs. Hale came over and asked if I didn't like them with the saddest eyes. Duly outfitted I was seated in the chair of honor and the festivities ensued.

We played the traditional bridal shower games of guessing love song titles and playing 'what's in your purse.' It wasn't until Mrs. Brandon pulled out a condom that I realized something that had been cleverly hidden from me: the punch was spiked. This wasn't an ordinary spiking of a little rum to sweeten, but completely hidden behind fruit and ice cream spiked so hard that I think at least two of the ladies I'd met were snoring.

My first clue as to the state of the punch was when Alice pulled out a life-sized poster of the Statue of David and had them all proceed to play the game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, only we were pinning a fig leaf, um, _there_. At least half the ladies tried to kiss the poster, even though they were blindfolded. The second clue was when it was decided that I needed a new wedding dress, made entirely of toilet paper. "It'll be easier for him to rip off!" one lady, whose name I couldn't remember, tittered. Hoping some food would counter the effects of the alcohol I grabbed an orange, only to discover it had been injected with vodka.

This naturally led to talks about sex. I had no clue why it was natural, but it went there easily for them. When your future mother-in-law tells you things you just don't want to know about your future father-in-law, you really hope the punch was spiked enough for you to forget. Some ladies actually gave me pointers for how to overcome erectile dysfunction problems when he was older. That still wasn't as bad as ideas for how to make sex good after childbirth, and how many kids it took before everything was stretched out too far. One sweet lady handed me a business card for a gynecological plastic surgeon if that happened, declaring her husband was really happy with the results. It was good to know that sex continued after eighty, I suppose.

Next came the gifts. It was entirely possible there was a Williams-Sonoma somewhere completely devoid of inventory at this point. Most of it would be going back, because how many trifle dishes does one person need? I'm sure one is the limit, and I really saw no use for a cricut cake decorating machine. Although, I was probably going to keep the kumquat tree. I'd never had a kumquat, and in my current inebriated state, the word alone was highly amusing.

If I had thought going to a bachelorette party that boasted more blue hair than a punk rock concert was a crazy idea, now I was sold. A few hours into it and these ladies were up and dancing, the punch was flowing, and there was more giggling than a roomful of pre-teens at a Justin Beiber concert. I may have a massive hangover in the morning, but it was worth it, especially when Mrs. Hale brought out her 1979 Chippendale Dancers Calendar and pointed out her favorites.

By the end of the evening my tiara was having trouble staying on top of my head, and Mrs. Brandon was describing the merits and drawbacks of different vibrators. It was probably good that Alice was sleeping in a corner by then, because her mother's whisper was anything but quiet.

Rose was also having trouble staying awake when her mother came running in, declaring I had one more present to open. "You have to stand up, open your arms and close your eyes!" she yelled, so I carefully made my way to the middle of the room where she was pointing, being sure my toilet paper dress was still intact. Spreading my arms out wide and closing my eyes I almost fell over and inadvertently stepped on my train.

"Crap, we need the stapler again!" I called, reaching back to where my 'skirt' had pulled away from the bodice. Strong arms came around me, helping me with my dress as he pulled me against his chest. Breathing deeply I recognized my Edward.

"I think you're drunk," he chuckled, the vibrations making my entire body light up.

"No thinking needed," I said, laying my head on his hard chest, letting go of my paper dress to run my hands up his chest. "Are you my present?"

"Open your eyes," he whispered, so I did. He stood in front of me with a large navy ribbon tied around his throat. His smile was glorious as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm yours," he murmured right before his lips touched mine.

* * *

We played Pin the Fig Leaf on the Statue of David at my bridal shower. It was a hoot.


	53. Chapter 53 Magic

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Magic  
**Plot Generator – Idea Completion**: The crowd cheered on…

* * *

Cheering erupted around us at our kiss, the drunken blue-hairs living vicariously and enjoying every minute of it. This made Edward and me giggle. He pulled away a bit to look at me, a motion that was met with far more booing than the situation warranted. Ignoring them his eyes swept down over my short jacket, bustier and tight jeans. "You will be the death of me, I swear," he whispered, pulling me even closer. The crowd cheered on.

"Why don't you take me home?" I asked, getting catcalls from the ladies. Lowering my voice so only he could hear I whispered, "I told Alice and Rosalie to not get me drunk, but no one told their moms."

"Oh, the stories I could tell you about their moms," he chuckled before standing up straight. Raising one hand in a wave he addressed the room full of women. "Ladies, thanks so much for getting my fiancée drunk and for all your lovely gifts." Someone who had to have been in her nineties started waving around a black lace number and suggesting we try it out tonight. Around his blush Edward took it from her, mumbling, "Maybe on our honeymoon." He then shoved it in a pocket. How odd that something that was supposed to cover my body fit in his jean pocket.

I spied Alice and Rosalie greeting their respective husbands, who were also laughing at my inebriated state. It was obvious they were laughing at me because they were pointing in my direction. The girls pointed them to the piles of presents, giving instructions to load them in Edward's car. Then Edward loaded me into his car, where I promptly became as responsive as the inanimate objects in the back seat.

The feeling of being lifted, followed by a grunt, woke me from my sleep. My arms wrapped instantly around his neck, with my head falling to his shoulder shortly thereafter. "Mmm, this is nice. Are you taking me to bed?" I whispered into his ear, smiling when he shivered.

"I'm putting you into bed," he said, walking into the elevator that suddenly showed up. "Then I'm going to make you drink a big glass of water along with two aspirin tablets." He gave another grunt as the elevator lifted. Odd, I hadn't felt him push the button.

"Who's going to undress me?" I asked, still breathing into his ear. His adam's apple bobbed in the most fascinating way as he swallowed.

"You'll have to take care of that yourself, I'm afraid." We were now in his apartment, walking down the hall to my bedroom. Did I pass out and miss him unlocking the door? He set me gently down on my bed, cradling my head until it hit my pillow.

My jeans were now incredibly tight, so I reached down and unbuttoned them, trying to lift my hips and shimmy them off. A groaning noise met my ears right as a pair of strong fingers started helping me pull them down and off. Then I was sat up, my jacket and bustier removed, followed by more groaning, before a soft t-shirt was pushed over my head.

A light was beaming sharply in my eyes, waking me from my sleep. Edward's hand was on my bare stomach. The other was under my pillow, holding my hand. He was curled around behind me, snoring loudly into my hair. Then again, the sheets were really loud when I tried to move my legs away from the Vulcan heat source behind me.

Moving at all seemed to be a really bad idea, for not only were the sheets incredibly noisy but the entire room began to spin as the blood pounded in my head. My stomach was also in full revolt, but any and all attempts to sit up where hindered by a hot, heavy arm that was holding me close to the furnace. Still, I knew that if I didn't make it into the bathroom, and now, then I would be revisiting everything I ate and drank the night before.

Trying to throw off the restraining arm proved difficult, it tightened as I moaned. Tightening was bad, very, very bad. Instantly it went into full retreat, but at least the gagging sounds helped to remove Sir Snores A Lot from behind me. Thankfully he thought quickly in the early morning and rushed for the trash can, bringing it to the bed before I lost all control. Cleaning a trash can was decidedly easier than the carpet.

"Oh, Bella," he shouted. Or whispered, it seemed like shouting, and I hushed him between retching. He held the can with one hand and my hair with the other, and I marveled that he would do such a thing, especially since what he had been holding not ten seconds earlier was much more pleasant. "Is this why you were so adamant about not drinking?" he asked, getting a moaning nod in return. This time I could tell he was whispering, but it still seemed abnormally loud.

My stomach finally decided there was nothing left in it, and Edward took that opportunity to empty the trash. It actually had a liner in it, making his job immensely easier. I wanted to help, since it was my fault I was in this state, but all I managed was a groan as I lay back down on the bed. A few minutes later a cool, wet washcloth was put on my forehead and another was placed around my neck, covering ear to ear. "Can you drink something?" he asked. I moaned again, but he pulled me up anyway. Probably because I was nodding.

Cold water was put to my lips, and I sipped it greedily, until Mr. Stomach started churning again. Edward was smart, a new liner was in the can and it was back beside me in an instant. But, when nothing emerged he tried to get some aspirin into me. "Why don't you rinse out your mouth and spit it into the can?" he asked. Deciding that was an excellent idea, I did just that. "Do you need anything else?" he asked, chuckling when one of my hands flailed in the direction the light was coming from.

Blissful darkness soon appeared, and I fell back to sleep. When my eyes opened again the nausea was gone, but the cool, wet washcloth was still around my throat. Edward was reading in bed next to me and noticed my movement. "Feeling better?" he barely whispered. This time I could tell it was a whisper.

"Yes," I croaked out. "What's with the wet washcloth?"

"It's magic, isn't it? It really cuts the nausea." He could tell from my expression that I was confused. "It's an old wives tale that actually works. My mom used to pack me in ice from ear to ear, but I didn't think you needed that much."

My head was still hurting, but the bass drum band had left. Still, he correctly interpreted what my hand rubbing my forehead meant and offered more aspirin. With a kiss on the forehead he told me to rest some more.

My eyes opened for the third time that day to see the sun at an odd angle in my room and no Edward to be found. My head was down to a dull ache now, my stomach ready to ingest rather than vomit, and the room had stopped spinning, so I dared to try to get up from the bed. The first thing I noticed was that the trash can was clean again and there was a gass of water beside the bed, condensation clinging to the sides. That was quickly dispatched, prompting a trip to the bathroom.

Immediately following I went on an Edward hunt. His voice could be heard, so I followed it, trying to home in on the sound. Turns out he was in his office on the phone, and it sounded like he was fussing at someone about getting me drunk and explaining that I wouldn't be in to work the next day. Since my legs were now out of energy I collapsed on his lap as he finished up his conversation, snuggling into the hollow of his shoulder.

When he finally hung up he smiled down at me. "Feeling better?" I gave a small nod and sigh. "So drinking makes you really sick?" I nodded again, snuggling deeper. "Um, can you do me a favor?" he asked, moving me slightly on his lap. Oh, I could feel why.

"Should I sit in my own chair?"

"Um, actually, I think it would help most if you put on pants."

* * *

Such a good fiancee, isn't he?

The trick of putting ice around your throat, covering from ear to ear, really does work by the way. My mother used it on me, and I've used it on all my kids. It's amazing.

Happy Valentine's Day!


	54. Chapter 54 Sweets

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Sweets

* * *

I had spent most of Sunday recovering from my bachelorette party. Lying on the sofa, nibbling on saltines, while Edward regaled me with his bachelor party was pretty much heaven. It seems he was out with all the husbands of the blue-hairs I had been with, and their party was much more sedate. They played golf, had dinner, then sat around giving him advice on how to deal with pregnancy, post-partum, and holding a conversation when a good game was on.

"Apparently a lot can be done with the 'nod and grunt' method," he said, laughing as he brought me some broth for lunch. "They said the most important thing I can learn to say is 'Yes, dear.'" It was impossible not to nod in agreement, which earned me a soft hit with a pillow.

Settling next to me with a sandwich for himself he started flipping through the channels on the television as I slurped my bland soup, hungrily eyeing his sandwich. Catching me watching him take a bite, he winked. "No food for you until your stomach has settled," he chided. "You're still having trouble with the saltines."

"I know, but it looks so good," I whined as I stirred my broth. "This is just so boring."

"When was the last time you felt queasy?" he asked before taking another bite. As if on cue my stomach started to gurgle. Hearing it he quickly reached for my bowl, but it was thankfully a false alarm. "How long does this typically last?"

"The worst has been a day, so I almost never drink anymore. The most I'll have is one glass of wine, and still don't finish that just in case." He had been surprised to find I had a mild allergy to alcohol this morning, which had prompted an immediate call to his sister. Alice had naturally felt horrible, asking him why he hadn't told her before and was surprised that he didn't know. Since the wedding was now less than a week away she told us she would scour the area for fake champagne, apologizing profusely until the end for making me so sick. I was thankful she was going to get the fake stuff. I had simply planned on not drinking, but now could pretend.

By the end of the day I was starving. Edward relented, allowing me to move up from saltines and broth to macaroni and cheese that he made from scratch. Esme and Carlisle came to visit for a short time, hoping I felt better and chastising Edward for not warning them sooner. Once they left we had a quick discussion on medical history, something that hadn't even crossed our minds before. I was shocked to find out he was allergic to bell peppers. This conversation naturally led to food, what we liked, what we didn't, and what we would drag ourselves through the desert to eat.

"Sweets, anything with sugar and I'm there," he said, leaning against the arm of the couch and holding me in his arms. His hand was stroking my arm, causing goose-bumps to form. "Although, my favorite things in that department are chocolate-banana shakes and bananas foster."

"So you like bananas, huh?" I asked, making his hand stop by threading my fingers with his. "I prefer strawberries, covered in chocolate, served with a sabayon sauce, as shortcake, or even plain."

"Sabayon sauce? Can you eat that?" he asked, playing with my fingers and twisting some to be more comfortable.

"The alcohol cooks out, so it's usually fine." It was now getting late, and I was extremely comfortable. My eyelids were starting to droop in spite of the action flick on the television.

"Still can't believe you don't like peas," he said, shaking his head. "Canned ones I understand, but fresh are amazing!" He didn't get an answer, my eyelids had won.

The next thing I was aware of was a gentle shaking on my shoulder. "Bella, honey?" Edward called, "I'm heading into work. I told my dad you needed another day off. I didn't want to wake you, but I also didn't want to go to work without saying goodbye." I reached out and grabbed his tie, pulling him in for a quick kiss before letting go and rolling back over. His warm chuckle was the last thing I remember from the morning.

My stomach woke me around lunch time, complaining vociferously about being so empty. I hadn't managed to eat much of Edward's macaroni and cheese the night before, and now it sounded incredibly good. Throwing off the covers I realized that I felt really good as well. It seemed the extra sleep had done the trick, or my body had finally metabolized all the alcohol. Whichever it was I was ready to get up and do something with the day.

Within minutes I was rummaging around in the refrigerator, searching for the casserole, but couldn't find it. There was only one solution.

"Hey, are you feeling better?" Edward asked by way of answering his cell phone.

"I'm hungry, and the mac and cheese has disappeared," I told him in greeting.

"So, yes, you are feeling better then?" he said while chuckling. "I took it into work for lunch."

"Yes, I am feeling better, and was looking forward to some mac and cheese. I guess I'll just have to find something else." My eyes travelled around the kitchen, picturing the food that was behind each cupboard door. I was still standing in front of the refrigerator, the door open, hoping for inspiration.

"I have an idea," he said into the phone. "Why don't you close the refrigerator, take a shower, and I'll send Alice over?"

"How did you know I was standing with the refrigerator door open?" I asked, closing the door and blushing at being caught.

"Because you've stood in front of it before when you were hungry," he said. "Go take a shower, Alice will be thrilled to wait on you. I might even ask her to pick you up some mac and cheese, unless you want something else?"

"Any comfort food will do," I told him, making my way to my bathroom. The thought of being pampered didn't sit well, but it was better than cooking or going out myself. "She doesn't have to do this," I added, feeling slightly guilty still.

"I know, but she's thrilled to do something to make up for getting you so sick." It was then I heard his office door closing over the phone.

"Was she there?" I asked, pausing in unbuttoning my top.

"Yes, and very excited. She came to see me to ask if there was any way to make this up to you, and so you've really made her day."

"Fine, I'm getting in the shower now. When will you be home?" I asked as the last button came undone on my top. Slipping it off I realized he hadn't spoken in a while. "Edward?"

"Are you naked?" he asked quietly. I quickly pulled down my bottoms.

"Yes," I replied teasingly, "Why?"

"I swear you're going to be the death of me. I'm hanging up now. I love you."

Turning on the water, making sure he could hear it, I answered. "Next week maybe you can join me. I love you too." All I heard after that was a groan and a ring tone.

* * *

The doctor made me get a tetanus shot yesterday since I hadn't had one since before 2005. Apparently the new shot comes with a vaccine for whooping cough, which is going around, even amongst adults. So, if you haven't had your tetanus booster since before 2005, please go get one!


	55. Chapter 55 Point

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Point

* * *

The rest of Monday was spent giggling with Alice. She had started to ask me questions about the dates I had been on with Edward, but was quickly sidelined with telling me stories from his childhood. By the time Edward made it home I knew far more about him than he would ever be willing to tell me himself.

"You look yourself," he said with a smile, settling next to me and almost sitting on his sister.

"Hello!" she shrieked, trying not to laugh, "I'm still here!"

"You were in my way," he told her, his eyes still on me. "I needed to be next to my girl." She swatted his arm, making him lean away from her and practically into my lap.

"Hey! No climbing onto my lap," I told him, squishing myself into the arm of the couch.

"You can climb onto my lap, if you like," Edward crooned, pulling on my arm to bring me closer to him.

"I have a question," Alice asked seriously, cutting through the mood. "Why didn't Edward know you were allergic to alcohol?"

"Alice," Edward said in warning voice. "I already told you."

"I want to hear it from Bella," she said, her voice brooking no nonsense.

"What's the point?" he asked. She just arched her eyebrows and looked at me.

"I never told him, because I can drink a little," I said with a shrug. "I just didn't think it was that important."

"Hmm," she said. Edward was now looking at her with an arched eyebrow. "Fine, your stories match."

"What's this about?" I asked, a knot of fear taking up residence in my stomach.

Alice huffed. "Just, some things seem to be, I don't know, off."

The knot was growing exponentially, threatening to send my stomach into revolt again. "What do you mean?" Edward's hand reached over to clasp mine, which were now tightly wound.

"Well, it seems like you know so much about each other, then something big slips through, like your allergy. Do you even know what Edward's allergies are?"

"Bell peppers and penicillin," I told her, really glad that we had that talk yesterday. Alice's lips thinned as Edward began to chuckle.

"Alice, she forgot to tell me, there's nothing else." He turned to wink at me before turning back to her. "Trust me, I spent yesterday trying to rectify that. The last thing we want is a repeat of that."

"Fine," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "So tell me how you managed to date each other without anyone at work finding out? Even the security guys had no clue."

"Checking up on us?" he asked, standing from the couch. "Come on hon, let's get some dinner."

* * *

If you're thinking this was cut short, you're right. Last night was a mother/daughter night, so I didn't get it finished. Sorry.


	56. Chapter 56 Astrology

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Astrology

* * *

Alice followed Edward and me into the kitchen, complaining that he was ignoring her. "And yet you're not taking the hint," he teased, giving her a wink to soften the blow. In response she stuck her tongue out at him. "Are you going to eat dinner with us?" he asked her, starting to pull things from the fridge. In one of our discussions it had come out that he didn't mind cooking but really hated to do the dishes, so we split up those chores accordingly, each helping out the other, but the main responsibility remained separate.

Edward and I started chopping vegetables for a stir-fry, and after a few minutes of pouting Alice stepped in to make some rice. "Yes, I'm staying. I just don't get what you two are hiding," she almost whined. "This isn't all a ruse, is it?"

My knife slipped, the tip somehow managing to impale the back of my finger. "Ow, ow, ow!" I cried as Edward rushed over, concern on his face.

Grabbing my hand to drag me over to the sink he glared at his sister. "No, Alice, it's not a joke. We are definitely getting married." I continued to mutter, 'ow, ow, ow' as the water sluiced over my cut, the blood tainting the water pink and making me start to sway. "Close your eyes," Edward told me, and I instantly obeyed, feeling my stomach settle from its reaction to the sight of my own blood.

"I know you're getting married," Alice replied, her voice frustrated, "but I also can tell you're not telling me everything." I heard some movement in the cabinet beside me. "Here, dry off her hand and I'll put some Neosporin and a band-aid on the cut."

"Thank you," Edward said curtly, pulling my hand from the flowing water and covering it with a towel.

"You're welcome," Alice replied just as coldly. Feeling the band-aid go around my finger I risked opening my eyes. Edward was glaring at Alice, and she was looking contrite. "I'm sorry I surprised you, Bella." She really was sorry, too. Her face took on a pleading look as she leaned over, placing her head on my shoulder. "I'm really sorry about your hand, too. Now it's not going to look pretty in the pictures."

"It'll be fine, Alice," I told her, bemused by her batting eyelashes and pouting face.

"Don't let her suck you in," Edward laughed, tugging at my hand and getting another pointed glare for Alice. "Come on, let's finish dinner."

We spent the evening with Alice and Jasper, enjoying dinner. She had called him as soon as she was sure there was enough food, and with our assurance that he was welcome as well. Much as we had done with Emmett and Rosalie, the group of us relaxed in front of a movie. Only this time I was able to stay awake, not that we watched it, much to Edward's obvious annoyance.

"Alice, why are you still talking? Aren't we supposed to be watching a movie?" He asked her at one point.

Jasper chuckled, "Surely you're used to this by now? I haven't watched an entire movie in peace and quiet since I met her."

"Fine," Alice huffed, sitting forward in her seat. "Bella, are you really interested in this?" she asked, waving to the television.

It was an action movie, and she knew that I had my doubts about watching it from the beginning. About ten minutes into it, though, the premise had become laughable. The heroine was into astrology and had predicted the end of the world. Her prediction had gone viral, leading to wars. At this point the hero was rescuing her by catching her in a helicopter when she fell out of a plane. If it got any more ludicrous I would be offending Edward with my laughter. He'd already eyed me a couple times when I chuckled at the wrong time.

"No, let's go somewhere else to talk," I agreed, getting up.

"You're leaving?" Edward asked sadly, grabbing my hand to stop me and pausing the show. Unfortunately he managed to grab right over my fresh cut, making it sting. "Oh, crap, sorry honey," he said, bringing it to his lips to place a kiss over it.

"Yes, and my hand is fine. You and Jasper enjoy the movie while Alice and I get to know each other better." He frowned, but pulled me down for a kiss before starting the movie back up. I glanced at it just in time to see the heroine shoot a bad guy, from a moving helicopter, with a handgun at over five hundred feet, and kill him. My dad had taken me shooting enough for me to let out a huge laugh at that one. Edward gave me a look, so I laughed again. "We're going, we're going." He didn't try to stop me.

Alice grabbed her bag on the way to my room, making me groan in agony. "Hey, we're just going over the schedule," she said, pulling a face at me. After settling on my bed she pulled out the binder I had come to hate. "Your mom comes in on Thursday, which is also your last day of work. The rehearsal dinner is Friday, and on Saturday you'll be a married woman!" Her excitement was infectious, and I couldn't help but be a little amazed at how fast it was all going. A month ago I was alone.

A warm glow started filling me at the thought of being married in just a few days. I knew the smile on my face had to look goofy, but there was no stopping it. Alice beamed back at me. In a moment we just started to laugh, not knowing what was really funny, but just enjoying the silliness we felt.

"Ah, Bella, this is how I know you're good for my brother," she said with a sigh. "You're just giddy, and so is he." Then she got a contemplative look on her face. "You guys are going to have beautiful children one day."

* * *

My husband hates to watch television and movies with me sometimes. When watching 2012 I turned to him and asked if it was supposed to be a comedy, the science was so ludicrous. He refuses to let me watch CSI because I start ranting. I do love to watch The Big Bang Theory, although he sometimes gets annoyed when I ask him to pause it so I can read the equations on their white boards. Yep, I'm a nerd.


	57. Chapter 57 Cooking

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Cooking

* * *

The next two days flew by and it was suddenly my last day of work before my wedding. Butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach at the thought of marrying a man I had only really known for a month. Everything had been wonderful, and he assured me that he was in love with me, but I was still scared.

To top it all off, my mother and Phil were flying in tonight. They would be staying with Carlisle and Esme, another reason to be nervous. What really had me jumpy, though, was my conversation with her this morning, before she got on the plane.

"Phil and I are about to board, is there any reason we shouldn't bother?" she had asked.

"Well, if you don't want to come to my wedding, then you shouldn't, I guess," I had answered, not understanding her question. Edward had been in the room and seen my confused look, giving me a questioning one in response.

"I'm just checking to see if you're actually going through with it. Oh, they're calling our flight! See you in a few hours honey!" She had then hung up without explaining what she meant.

When I had told Edward what she'd said he just shrugged. "She probably is checking to see if you have cold feet. You don't, do you?"

Leaning over to put a kiss on his cheek I told him, "Nope, toasty warm."

Now I would be seeing her in just a couple hours, but first there was the work wedding shower to get through. Mrs. Cope had decided we needed one and sent out invitations to everyone I'd ever worked with. There was going to be cake, and hopefully that was all. After much begging she'd sent out a follow-up email that presents weren't to be brought, just come and wish us well. Little did I know what she was really cooking up.

Edward and I walked hand in hand into the cafeteria, which was festooned with balloons and crepe paper and looked like something out of a horror movie. The place was packed with people, and along the back table, next to a cake, was a huge pile of presents.

Turning to her with an outburst on my lips I was surprised to see her standing with her hands up in surrender and shaking her head. "It wasn't my idea! People asked if they could bring something and I told them that it wasn't expected, but if they wanted, they could. What did you expect me to do? Confiscate them at the door?" There was no way I believed her story, especially when we got around to opening the presents.

One of the things Alice had insisted we do was spend an evening registering at various places. Thankfully, most of it could be done online, and it had been fun trying to merge our different tastes. We'd both lived on our own long enough that some essential things had worn out. Add in redecorating the new house, picking new color schemes, and there turned out to be quite a few things on our list that we wanted. Alice had sent the sites to Mrs. Cope, who had then forwarded them to anyone who asked. I was mortified.

An hour later I was touched. People had really tried to get everything on our lists. Some had banded together to buy more expensive things, like sets of towels or a special sauté pan. The one that almost brought me to tears, though, was from the security guard who had ridden the bus home with me every night. He called it the commuter's safety kit, and it included a small but bright flashlight, a whistle, and one thing that would make Charlie happy, a can of mace.

Standing up I couldn't help but give him a huge hug. "Thanks for looking out for me," I whispered into his ear.

"It was my pleasure," he said back gruffly. "Mr. Cullen was always worried about you, Bella. I'm not surprised he finally broke down and asked you to marry him. All the guys in the security department had bets on how long it would take."

"What?" I asked, seeing Mrs. Cope starting to laugh from the corner of my eye. Edward looked as shocked as I felt.

"Actually, it's why there are so many people here, to find out who won the pool," she giggled, pointing to a calendar and a pile of cards. "We had everyone put in five dollars who wanted to join, and fill out a series of questions. We then divided however much we collected by the number of questions. Whoever is closest on a date wins a card."

And I was back to mortified! Looking around I could see that Edward was still in shock, but Carlisle was laughing. He must be in on it. Noticing me he gave me a nod, letting me know that yes, he did know. There was nothing for me to do but shake my head.

Mrs. Cope went and got the calendar and turned to Saturday. "All right, the person who was closest to picking this as their wedding day is Mike Newton!" she called out. There was nothing for me to do but hang my head in shame. "He was only a week off!" she continued as Mike made his way forward, receiving congratulatory slaps on the back. "Each gift card is worth twenty-five dollars, by the way," Mrs. Cope told the group as she handed Mike his.

"Alright, now we have to get the rest answered by our couple. When was your first date?" she asked loudly. I was too busy sputtering, so Edward gave the answer, the fake one I had told him. I was never so thankful for his memory than at that moment. Question after question was asked, with winners coming up to collect their card after each answer. Edward and I even started to enjoy it, realizing that the only ones who hadn't noticed our attraction to each other was us. We were the talk of the company! No wonder no one was terribly shocked when we announced our engagement, only that we had hid our relationship for so long.

Some of the questions, like 'first time you had an argument', had us scrambling to make something up. Others, like 'first time you bonked noses when kissing', had us laughing. But it was the last question that made us both blush furiously.

"All right, last and most important," Mrs. Cope declared, waving the last gift card around, "when was the first time you had sex?"

"We haven't, yet," I mumbled. "We're waiting until after the wedding." This was met with a cry of disappointment from the crowd, except for one person who was beaming.

Carlisle strode forward and claimed his card. When calls of unfair were shouted out, Mrs. Cope waved them to be quiet. "Nope, you all got to answer the questions, Carlisle didn't choose a date, he put 'on their wedding night', he wins the card!"

He thanked Mrs. Cope, and walked over to where we were standing. Handing Edward the card he said, "Thanks for being the man I raised you to be."

* * *

I took yesterday off to work on my outline for a book, so no post then, sorry. I mostly played with my grandson, though. I've got a great video on my phone of him dancing.


	58. Chapter 58 Candy

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Candy

* * *

My mother had spent the evening looking at Edward and me strangely after she and Phil arrived. All through dinner she teased us about setting the wedding so quickly after being outed and wondering if we thought we were rushing things a bit. Charlie had come down, meeting us all at the Cullen's house. After a pleading look from me he said, "They're grown, Renee, and can make their own choices," effectively putting an end to the discussion. Or so I thought.

Friday was a flurry of activity, starting from the break of day when Alice woke us. No one should be that happy that early, but she was. She sent Edward off to their parents' house so the guys could get last minute fittings on their tuxes, and whisked the girls off to the do the same at the bridal store.

The last fitting was followed by a quick, light lunch. Alice told us to stay hungry for dinner, which would follow right on the heels of the rehearsal, since it was going to be catered by the same people we had picked out for the wedding. After eating we dropped off everyone back to the Cullen's house. I was hoping for some down time, but Alice insisted I had to come with her to do last minute checks on everything. By the time we were finished I was exhausted, but excited for the next day.

Alice pulled up to the church and poked me awake. "Come on, sleepyhead, you still have the rehearsal to get through. You can sleep tonight when you get to my place." There was a mischievous twinkle in her eye when she said that and it took a minute for it to sink into my brain.

"Wait, what? Why am I sleeping at your place?" I asked, now fully awake.

"Well, you can't wake up in Edward's arms on your wedding day!" She then giggled, "You have the rest of your life for that." Seeing my blank expression she crossed her arms over her chest and got her stubborn look. "Bella, you can't see him until the wedding tomorrow. It's just easier this way, because then I can get you ready in the morning."

There was no winning this argument, so I just nodded and climbed out of the car. "What? No fighting?" she asked, obviously shocked.

"I'm too tired to fight, and nobody but maybe Edward would agree with me anyway." Her smile became somewhat smug until I added, "Besides, this means you owe me one agreement without discussion."

Walking into the church it was impossible not to appreciate all the work that had gone into transforming it into a floral haven. Boughs of flowers festooned the pews leading up to a bower that we would stand under to say our vows. Edward was already standing there, in jeans and a t-shirt, talking with Emmett, who was standing next to him.

My mom came up to give me a hug, but my eyes remained on the front of the chapel. Noticing my obsession she gave a small sigh. "He is amazing eye-candy, I'll give you that."

"Mom!" I hissed, blushing at her obvious look of appreciation for my fiancée.

"Oh, please, like no one else looks! Trust me, Bella, if he didn't only have eyes for you then you'd have something to worry about." She gave me a hug to soften her words before leaning in and whispering, "Are you still sure you want to do this?"

"Why do you keep asking me that?" I asked, turning to her. She looked concerned, but also like she was deciding to say something or not.

Then her face calmed. "Marriage is supposed to be forever, honey. That's all. It didn't work so well for your dad and me, and I just want you to not jump into anything because you feel you have too."

"I want to, mom. I really do love him."

Placing her hands on either side of my face, she sighed. "I know, baby. I just hope you always will. Even amicable divorces are no fun. Trust me."

I wanted to tell her that I knew divorce wouldn't happen for us, but was interrupted by Alice. "Everyone take your places!" she cried loudly, getting us all to shuffle into position.

My dad came and took me from my mom, shaking his head at her imploring look. With a smile down at me he asked, "Ready, Bells?" It was all I could do to nod. He slowly walked me down the aisle, patting my hand whenever I tried to hurry. "Slow down, kid. He's not going anywhere, and I'm not gonna let you run tomorrow."

"I'm more worried about tripping," I told him, looking up into his warm smile.

"Won't let that happen either."

An eternity later I reached Edward's side and took his hand. The pastor ran us through our lines, telling us what to expect, but I was only barely aware. Edward filled my entire field of view; smiling, whispering that he loved me. Finally it was over, and we were able to go into the hall and eat some dinner.

Edward joined me in drinking sparkling cider, but the rest of our families made quick work of the wine that was flowing a bit too freely. The more they imbibed, the more embarrassing the story they told of our childhoods. Somehow I just didn't think my future in-laws needed to know how old I was when I first got my period, but my mother and mother-in-law found it fascinating. Esme started telling everyone about how old Alice was, and that she was sure she had cancer, even though she had been fully warned of what was coming.

As the evening wore on, and Edward and I were the only ones left sober, the stories shifted. There was talk about how Carlisle and Esme met, followed by Charlie and Renee, Renee and Phil, Emmett and Rosalie and Alice and Jasper. Some of their dating mishaps were laughed about as well. Then it naturally turned to Edward and me.

"They met when she fell into Edward's arms on her first day of work," Carlisle announced loudly. "He came upstairs and was already smitten. I warned him that she worked for him, so he couldn't do anything, but I'm glad he didn't listen to me."

"I thought they met at the Christmas party," my dad asked. He was far quieter than Carlisle since he was usually a quiet drunk.

"Oh, no, that was the first time he talked to her, and I had to remind him to stay away, but it was more than he could do, apparently," Carlisle retorted, getting cheers from Esme and catcalls from Emmett over his comment. "I guess he asked her out shortly thereafter."

"Nope!" my mother interrupted, "That's not it at all."

"What do you mean? Their first date was in February," Esme said. She wasn't nearly as drunk as her husband or my mother.

"Nah, that's all a lie. I saw their faces when Bella walked out of the elevator the night I met you all. They'd never dated. She'd just told me they were to get me off her back," my mother answered, causing me to gasp in shock. Edward's hand clasped onto mine tightly, holding me down. I hadn't even realized I had tried to stand.

"Edward was too surprised when I introduced myself, and Bella looked like she did whenever she got caught. I just can't believe they're going through with it anyway, but it's not like they aren't a good match." My mother's last words were met by silence. Slowly everyone in the room turned to stare at us.

* * *

You had to know it was going to happen eventually, right?


	59. Chapter 59 Dominate

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Dominate

* * *

Crickets would have been loud in the room as silence descended. Edward's whisper into my ear almost sounded like a shout in comparison to the quiet, but I was sure no one but me had heard him. "Let me handle this?" he had asked, getting a nod in reply. After all, my father's face looked thunderous and I was quaking on the inside as a result.

"Renee is right," he started, drawing gasps of shock from everyone, including me.

"Edward!" I hissed, pulling on his hand to get him to stop.

He lifted both hands up to trace over my cheek. "Trust me?" he asked quietly. For a moment I just stared into his eyes, looking back and forth between them. He was so earnest, so I nodded with a sigh.

Turning back to our families he continued. "Renee was right a couple times tonight," he continued, smiling at her. Only the clenching of his jaw and the tight grip he had on my hand gave away his nervousness. "She said that I only have eyes for Bella, that's been true for years now, even if she didn't know it. She said that we're a good match, something we've really come to realize in the past month." He stopped for a moment and looked back to me. "Our first real conversation was at Christmas, but it was work related. I was smitten then. I've watched Bella for the past couple years, always amazed at her intelligence, kindness, work ethic and understated beauty."

My blush, which was already red-hot over having our secret revealed, morphed into something softer, sweeter. A feeling of love came over me as I looked at my fiancée. He placed a tender kiss on my forehead before turning back to our families. "It's true we hadn't been dating, but we had both been wanting to, the office pool at work yesterday shows that we were the only ones oblivious to that. When I realized she had been talking to her mom about me, I jumped at the chance to make her mine. Dad knows how much I wanted to ask her out, so I asked her to go through with it, give me a chance." His eyes were now back on me. "I asked her to give us a chance. She said yes. Never have those three little letters meant so much to me."

The room was no longer silent. Esme, Renee and Alice were all using their napkins to dry the tears on their faces. Carlisle was nodding and Emmett was giving Edward a thumbs up while Rose rolled her eyes at him. Jasper was smiling. My dad still looked thunderous, but was obviously calming. Phil was trying not to laugh.

"So, you're still getting married tomorrow?" Alice asked, concern evident on her face.

"Yes, Alice, we are," Edward said to her while looking at them all. His voice was firm and resolute. "We've discussed, in detail, what we're up against and have decided to go forward." Alice looked incredibly relieved. Considering how much work she had put into this I didn't blame her.

"Why so quickly, though?" Carlisle asked. "You both set the date as this, when it could have been much longer. I know she's not pregnant," my dad relaxed greatly when he heard this even though he still looked tense, "so why the rush?"

I decided to tackle this one. Taking a deep breath and steeling my resolve I spoke. "Despite our beginning, the one trait that has been dominate in our relationship is the openness and trust between the two of us. From the time mom introduced herself to Edward we've been comfortable with talking everything through. Everyone has always said that's the most important thing, and since we do that, we decided waiting was silly."

Edward's fingers were gripping mine tightly, and I flexed my fingers to get some blood to flow into them. Noticing this he let go with a murmured 'sorry', forcing me to have to recapture his fingers. "Just not so tight," I whispered.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked, lifting my hand to place a kiss where they had been squished.

"No, I'm fine. Just needed some blood flow," I teased, making him smirk. Slowly he lowered his head down and began to tease my lips with his. "Are you going to kiss me or just torture me?" I asked, feeling his lips smile against my own at my question. He started to apply gentle pressure, the hand that had been gripping mine drifting around my waist to pull me closer to him.

"Hello?" Rosalie called, laughter in her voice. "We're still here!"

"Now I know why they're in such a hurry to get married," Emmett said loudly. A second of quiet was broken by Phil laughing again. He was joined by Alice and Jasper, and slowly everyone seemed to relax and laugh along with him.

"Bella, honey, I've always wondered if you inherited anything from your mother," Phil said around his chuckles. "I would have never thought it was impetuousness."

My mom lightly slapped his arm. "Well, the one thing she definitely got from Charlie is that once she makes a decision she sticks to it, no matter how ridiculous it is."

"Hey!" Charlie protested.

"Edward is the same way," Esme interjected, rolling her eyes and tapping the table with her hand. "Just like his father. Watch out for that Bella, once he gets an idea in his head changing the rotation of the planets is easier than changing his mind."

"I'm not that bad," Carlisle retorted, looking slightly offended but still laughing. "Just be glad I don't have to research every possibility before making a decision."

"At least she makes a decision," Charlie cut in, "or at least picks one instead of trying everything out at once."

"I don't try everything at the same time," Renee fussed back. Seeing Phil nodding in agreement with Charlie she emphasized, "I don't!"

"Well, I think the thing Bella should watch out for is how serious he is all the time," Emmett added.

"She should be thankful for that," Rose quipped, "trust me, Bella, living in a constant state of joking can be tiresome."

"Well, Edward should be glad that Bella can sit calmly, even if she does tend to fall asleep on him during movies," Jasper added quietly. Alice huffed in surprise at that.

"Are you saying I can't sit calmly?" she said, smiling despite the severity of her words. She often also commented on the fact that she was hyper. When Jasper nodded she got an evil grin on her face, stuck her fingers in her glass of water and flicked the droplets at him.

"How about we leave before the food fight erupts?" Edward whispered into my ear, trying hard not to laugh at our families' antics.

"Good idea." In a second I was standing, but the bantering group didn't notice. Emmett was picking up his entire water glass, making like he was about to throw it at Alice since some of those droplets of water had landed on him. Edward grabbed my hand and whisked me away.

The summer night was warm and soft as we exited the air conditioned building. We took one look at each other and burst into laughter. "Are you sure you want to marry me? My family is a bit insane," he asked, gathering me into his arms.

"Please, mine fit right in," I chuckled back wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his shoulder. The sounds of someone asking if anyone knew where we'd escaped to drifted out to us, so Edward walked backward, dragging me with him, until we were hidden under the boughs of a willow tree.

"We could hop a plane and elope, you know. Avoid all this insanity tomorrow," he offered as he rested his cheek on top of my head.

"Alice would kill us." His shrug made me laugh. "No, let's do this right, you can whisk me off to Spain to begin our cruise when it's all over."

One of his hands moved down from the small of my back to grasp my hip and pull my body tighter against his. "That's not all I'm looking forward to beginning," he said right before his lips captured mine.

* * *

See? Almost no drama. I HATE drama when none is needed. Only the wedding to go! Maybe the wedding night, if you all want. I was planning on keeping this T-rated, though. Just a warning, because that means fading to black.

I'll go back to the other stories next, and work on finishing them off. Running seven stories in my head was a bit too much. Homeless Bella will be up next, since it's the closest to being finished. Please vote on which one you want to have finish after that. The choices are: Alternate TW, Parkward, Hitchhiker, Loudward and Ranchward. Oh, and I never finished the Chapstick Chronicles either, so if you want that one at all, let me know.

xoxo!


	60. Chapter 60 Feathers

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Feathers  
**Audio-Visual Challenge**: "I Want to Kiss You All Over" by Exile (youtube this! If any of you are around my age, and remember when this song came out, you will laugh your tookish off!)

* * *

When I woke up on the morning of my wedding day I was surrounded by feathers. The bed in Alice's guest room had a down mattress, down comforter and down pillows. Normally I wouldn't want to sleep in that in the middle of August, but apparently Jasper likes to have the place really cold at night. Good thing I wasn't allergic. But, even with all that warmth, what I really missed was the heater I had gotten used to sleeping next to the last couple weeks.

It was impossible not to smile when I thought that I would be waking up next to him tomorrow morning, on a ship, and not removing his hand from fondling me in his sleep. There might even be return fondling. Who was I kidding; there would definitely be return fondling. From what I remembered in waking up next to him, there would be plenty to fondle.

Right now I'm standing at the door to the church, and Charlie is walking over to take my arm to walk me down the aisle. With a quick shake of my head, and a deep blush, I shook thoughts of fondling Edward out of my mind.

"I'd ask you what you're thinking about, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to know," my dad said with a resigned sigh. "He seems like a good guy, Bells, and from a good family." He wasn't looking at me as he spoke, instead he stared at the doors, but a tell-tale tear dripped down his cheek.

"He is, dad," I said, choking up some myself. "Thanks for supporting me in this, especially after last night."

"I'm a man, Bella. I know that look he gives you. I once had it myself." Dashing the tears away with obvious frustration he looked down at me. "Just remember he is a guy, so always be straight with him, and never assume he knows what you're thinking." The music changed on the other side of the doors so he took my arm and threaded it through his own. "We're up."

The doors opened, and there, standing at the end of the long aisle, was Edward. His eyes were trained on me, and I got a sense of how those aboard the Millennium Falcon must have felt when approaching the death star. Fear over what I was about to do wracked through me, causing me to quake. My feet were frozen in place as my dad tugged on me slightly, and all I could think about was how much I wished Edward were next to me, holding me in his arms, and chasing away the fear.

"You coming, Bells?" my dad whispered, and like a switch being thrown, I suddenly couldn't get down the aisle and into those arms soon enough. Charlie laughed as my feet caught up with my brain, forcing him to now hold me back. "I told you I wasn't going to let you run," he said, still chuckling beside me.

Edward smiled at me as we drew closer, his eyes never deviating from my face. The joy there was unmistakable; it reverberated in me as my hand finally reached out and touched his own. The traditional words were spoken, only both of us promised to obey, thinking that was funny. We could hear chuckling in the congregation when Edward promised to obey me. There were no plans to hold each other to that vow, but we knew we could have fun with it over the years.

For all the hours of planning, the ceremony itself was amazingly short. It was a good thing, because we had been drawing closer and closer, and by the time the pastor said we could kiss, there wasn't that far to move in order to do so. The cheers were background noise for a while; they changed to laughter, then to coughs. Emmett finally leaned over and asked if we wanted a room.

Our families circled around us as we exited the dais, congratulating us with hugs and kisses. We were finally able to break free and leave the church, heading to where the reception was being held. Edward helped me into his car, stuffing my dress around me carefully, making sure none of it was caught in the door as he closed it. I could see others piling into cars, making their way from the church, but Edward was caught by a few people, offer more congratulations, before he was able to climb in next to me.

Sagging into his seat, he reached over for my hand as he closed his eyes and relaxed. "Thank goodness that's over."

"What do you mean?" I asked, a bit nervous.

He turned his head sideways and opened his eyes. There was such a look of comfort and love there it was impossible not to melt. "Just that it seemed forever until you were walking toward me, and then another eternity until you took my hand. I had thought the vows were short, but all I cared about was when he said, 'man and wife', and then I could finally kiss you. Now I have to suffer through the reception, a plane ride, and checking into a cruise before I can make you mine, and I'm pretty sure I might combust by then."

"I know what you mean," I whispered. The look in his eyes changed, going from comfort and love to heat and passion in an instant.

"We could skip the reception," he whispered.

"And never hear the end of it from Emmett," I replied, just as quietly.

"We could be late," he offered, raising one eyebrow, looking hopeful.

"And never hear the end of it from Emmett," I said again, chuckling.

He sagged even deeper into his seat with a groan. "I hate it when you're right." Letting go of my hand he started the car; we were the last to leave the church, so he gunned it. Within minutes we were at the reception center, where thankfully, there was food.

Walking in I sniffed at the air, groaning at the delicious smells. "I'm so hungry, I couldn't eat this morning."

"Nervous?" Edward asked, squeezing my hand as he walked beside me.

"No, too full of butterflies." He laughed and nodded in understanding as he pulled me to where plates were waiting to be stacked with all the things we had picked out at the taste testing.

Alice ran over to make us get in a receiving line, bouncing in annoyance when Edward forced her to let me eat something first. It's possible that I ate more than I would have normally, just to delay the inevitable.

We stood in line for an hour, greeting all the people the Cullens knew, or who wanted to be seen knowing them. My feet were aching when Edward started to pull me to the dance floor. "You've got to be kidding me," I protested. "My feet are hurting."

"Then take off your shoes and come dance with me," he said enticingly, pulling on my hand. A twinkle came into his eyes. "I'll help with the shoes." Dropping down he lifted my skirt slightly and grasped my ankle. With a laugh I took hold of his shoulders for balance as he removed first one shoe, then the other. Peeking up he grinned. "Now we dance."

This was something we hadn't done before, at least together. It was something I had never done up until this moment, but he obviously had as I was twirled out onto the floor to applause. Settling into his arms I found the peace that chased away the fear I had felt earlier.

The next dance was with my dad as he danced with his mom. "You make a beautiful bride, honey," Charlie said as we swayed from side to side. He wasn't much of a dancer either.

"Thanks, dad. And, thanks for everything. Most especially for being my dad."

Tears came to his eyes as he pulled me in closer, hugging me tightly. "Best thing that ever happened to me was you." A tap on his shoulder delivered me back into the arms of my husband.

"Are you ready to leave?" he whispered into my ear. When I nodded he let out a breath in a gust. "Good, me too." Taking my hand he led me from the floor in the direction of my shoes.

"Where do you think you're going?" Emmett asked, stopping us. "Dancing isn't over yet! There's one more song, so you have to get back onto the floor!"

"We're going Emmett," Edward said, as the strains of the song started to play. "EMMETT!" Edward yelled as we both recognized the song his brother had chosen. "We are not dancing to this."

The chorus started just then, and Emmett began to sing along,

_"I want to kiss you all over_  
_And over again_  
_I want to kiss you all over_  
_Until the night closes in_  
_Until the night closes in_

_Stay with me, lay with me, holding me, loving me, baby_  
_Here with me, near with me, feeling you close to me, baby"_

"Goodbye, Emmett," Edward said, fighting laughter as his brother danced in a manner that I suppose he thought was erotic but was actually kind of frightening.

"Go," Rosalie said, coming to our rescue and corralling her husband. "I'll take care of him."

"Thanks, Rosalie, I owe you," Edward said, then looked at me with a glint in his eye. "Ready?" Not trusting my voice, the butterflies were back in droves, I nodded. He looked at my shoes, then at me, and then swooped me up into his arms. Laughter broke out as he carried me from the room, rice falling all around us.

He quickly put me into his car, still careful with my dress, and ran around to the driver's side. Rice was still falling all around us as he started it up and we drove off.

"Edward, I'm not flying to Spain in this dress, am I?" I asked, really hoping it wasn't true.

"Our flight isn't until tomorrow morning," he said with a wink. "And no, I don't plan for you to be in that dress much longer."

* * *

Whenever my baboo realizes he's wrong, he always says, "I hate it when you're right." It makes me laugh.

Okay, after much begging, there will be some of the honeymoon. That, and this chapter was getting rather long, my grandson has RSV and a double ear infection and needed holding (and his mother is also sick), and I was falling asleep so didn't get around to finishing the story. So, Monday, there will be lovin'.

The votes are in, after Homeless Bella will be Ranchward, then Loudward. Votes are split on the others, so I'll just pick one.

Have a great weekend! xoxo!


	61. Chapter 61 Corset

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Corset

* * *

I was shocked when Edward pulled up in front of my old apartment. We'd never had a chance to sub-let it, so I'd been paying rent on it this month, even though I was never there. "They'll never suspect," Edward said with a wink as he parked the car in front. "If I know Emmett, he'll be calling every hotel in Seattle, looking for us."

"But I don't have my keys!" I protested. The fact that the only thing I had on me was my dress then dawned on me. "I don't have any clothes, other than this dress." I couldn't believe I'd been so wrapped up in everything that I hadn't paid attention to what Alice had done with my bag.

"Your things are in the trunk," he said, one hand coming over to trace along my jaw. "What I want to know is if you want to stay here tonight or find a hotel."

"Here is fine," I said, anxious but excited. Glancing down I could see Edward was as well. With a smile he exited the car and hurried around to my side, opening the door to help me out.

"Should I carry you up?" he asked, not letting go of my hand as he closed the door behind me.

"Three flights? There's no elevator in this building, you know," I said, shaking my head. "I'm afraid we'll both have to walk." With a shrug he let go of me and circled around back to retrieve our bags.

With luggage in hand he followed me into my old building and up the stairs. At the second floor he started to laugh. "What's so funny?" I asked over my shoulder, noticing that he was having to side-step my train.

"This seemed much more romantic in my head," he admitted. "Not that I mind the image of you walking up the stairs in your wedding dress, just that I should be carrying you, or something."

I giggled as well. "How you hoped to manage that and the luggage is beyond me. I could carry something," I offered, letting go of part of my dress to reach for a bag.

"And have you fall down the stairs? Not on your life. Not get moving, woman, I want to peel that dress off you." The look in his eyes spurred me on. Picking up the skirt even higher my feet started to race up the steps, leaving him behind. "Don't you dare enter that apartment without me!" he called, having fallen behind since he was carrying so much. I just laughed and picked up the pace. "Bella!" he called, but I was already to the door to the stairs. Looking down I could see he was watching me with an amused glare.

"You don't have to carry me across the door of the stairs, Edward. How about if I hold it open for you?" I offered. His shoulders relaxed at that, and I waited for him to reach the landing.

He navigated through the door and to my apartment, setting the bags down and pulling the keys from his pocket. "Don't move," he ordered as the door swung wide. He quickly picked the bags up again and carried them inside before returning for me. "Ready?" he asked when he returned, right before he scooped me up into his arms. Giving a little squeak I instantly wrapped my hands around his neck, holding on tight as he adjusted me in his arms.

Upon carrying me in I noticed two things. First, the place was really empty. All the books were gone, as well as most of the furniture. We hadn't gotten around to donating what I didn't want to Goodwill yet. The second thing was how clean it was. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, the floors looked freshly cleaned and the windows sparkled. A vase of sunflowers was on the kitchen counter. "You cleaned?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, it's why Alice kept you busy yesterday." He was smiling at me, happy with my reaction to his surprise.

"There's not much furniture in here," I pointed out, still stating the obvious apparently.

"The most important piece is still here," he said, his voice warm and hungry. Kicking the door closed behind him he carried me down to the bedroom, asking me to turn on the light when we passed a switch, where the only piece of furniture remaining was my queen size bed, which was now turned down with new sheets and covered in rose petals.

"Looks pretty romantic to me," I whispered as he set me on my feet. There were unlit candles circling the bed, and a laugh escaped me. At his lifted eyebrow I explained, "Looks like you have it set up for a séance."

"Just wait," he said, shaking his head and running out of the room. He was back in a few moments with our bags, one of which he pulled a long-handled candle lighter from. Walking around the circle he slowly lit each one, then went back to the wall to turn off the overhead lamp. The entire room glowed warmly, heating my very skin. Or that could have been the look on Edward's face. "Do you want to change?" he asked, shrugging off his tux jacket and throwing it far beyond the reach of the flickering candles.

"I thought you were going to peel the dress off of me," I asked, feeling suddenly shy, but fully mesmerized by how his fingers were now undoing his vest, then his tie, then each shirt button. His smile grew along with the silence, each button opening up with each step he drew closer to me.

Finally his shirt was open and falling from his shoulders, the sight of it releasing a tension in me I hadn't been aware of until it pooled on the floor. "Your turn," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders to turn me around, "only you can't reach, so please, allow me." Those long fingers found my zipper and started to lower it, his lips following the path down my back. "A corset?" he asked, one finger catching in the laces at my back.

"It seemed appropriate," I murmured, letting the dress fall from my shoulders to the floor. Standing in front of him, in just the corset, slip and panties, my blood started to heat.

His arms came around me from behind, his lips trailing down my throat. "I think I'm going to enjoy this far more than I previously realized," he whispered, just as the bow tying the corset closed came undone.

* * *

I know! I know! But I ran out of time! Sorry, it was a busy weekend. Tomorrow, I promise. *runs and hides*


	62. Chapter 62 Piano

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Piano

* * *

My breathing picked up as I felt the ties of my corset slipping free, loosening around my body. Edward's lips ghosted over my shoulder, occasionally leaving as he looked to pull the ribbon free. It felt as if it were going to slip off, so my arms went across my front to hold it up. "Are you feeling shy?" he asked as he pulled gently on my slip, pulling it down past my hips to lay on top of my dress.

Nodding and closing my eyes I felt those fingers run back up my sides. "Let go?" He gave another small tug, and taking a deep breath, I allowed him to pull it away from my body. His breath left him quickly as he pulled me into his arms, his chest to my back. "I can't believe I'm touching you like this," he whispered against my skin, his hands traveling up to cup my breasts. Naturally, I started to giggle.

"Does this amuse you or does it tickle?" he asked, leaning over to look around at my face.

"This isn't the first time you've touched me like this," I told him, trying not to smile.

His looked confused for a moment before realization struck him. With a warm laugh he added, "All right, the first time I've touched you like this and been conscious?" Turning my body slowly he gazed into my eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," I admitted, even as I enjoyed the sensation of the hairs on his chest tickling my breasts. He hummed his understanding as one hand moved from my back, circling around my waist and stopped at my stomach. His fingers started to undo his belt, so I pushed the bottom half of my body out to give him room. Entranced I watched as he unbuckled the belt, undid the pants, letting them fall partly on my clothes, and leaving him in just boxer-briefs. The nerves skyrocketed when his arousal became visually apparent.

Stepping from his pants he started backing up to the bed, pulling me by my hand. "Don't be nervous, love, we have all night," he whispered, pulling away the arm I hadn't realized I had lifted to cover my breasts. "Shh, let's just enjoy."

Following him onto the bed, both of us kneeling, he pulled me into his arms again. His lips met mine, gently kissing me as his hands remained still on my back. Even though the kisses were soft, in minutes I was hungry for more, panting in my desire. My hands took on a mind of their own, trailing over his back, pulling his body closer to mine.

"Umf," he called out when my wandering hands pulled us off balance, causing me to land on him on the bed. With a laugh he rolled us over, pressing my back into the mattress as he looked at me with amused eyes. "Bella, if you wanted to lay down, you only had to say so," he teased, one of his hands in my hair while the fingers of the other rested on my ribcage.

"Oops," I said, not feeling really sorry for unbalancing us, until the hand on my ribs started to move. His fingers started running along my ribs, almost as if he were playing the keys on a piano, lightly tickling me. "Stop!" I fussed, grabbing his wrist and pulling the torturing digits away.

His eyes lit up even more. "I forgot how ticklish you are!"

He started to fight me, trying to reach for my ribs again as I struggled to hold his hand away. "Don't you dare, mister!" Then he fought dirty, he kissed me. The hand that had been holding his wrist moved up his arm, grabbing hold of his bicep and pulling him closer. When I felt his fingers at my ribs again, I jumped, but he simply rested them there, letting me relax.

Of course, then they started moving in a completely different way. Still kissing me he trailed his fingers up the center of my ribcage, resting his palm between my breasts. His mouth still moved against mine, his tongue darting languidly stroking mine. Soon, his fingers moved again, only now they were circling my breast. Ever smaller circles were made, causing me to push my chest up into his hand, wanting to feel relief. As his hand closed over it his lips left mine and began to trail down my throat.

My breath was frantic as the nerves built again, wondering what he was going to do. Ever so slowly he kissed down over my collarbone, to the valley between my breasts before starting up the side of the one he wasn't currently fondling.

I gasped when his lips took hold of the nipple, his fingers matching the movement on the other side. My hands left his arms and wound into his soft hair, pushing him down on my breast as I lifted my chest higher. As he played with them I felt a tightening begin in my stomach, a subtle pressure telling me I needed more.

Hearing me groan he doubled his efforts, sucking harder and pinching, his tongue causing feelings inside I never knew I could feel. But then his hand left my breast and started to move down my stomach. Suddenly nerves were back, in spite of the amazing sensations coursing through me, my entire body stiffened. "Relax, honey. I'm only going to touch you," he crooned as he hooked his fingers in my panties and started to pull them down.

Relaxing slightly I lifted my hips to make it easier for him to remove them. Then his hands were gone, and I realized he was removing his own. "Honey, if you don't relax this will hurt," he said, his hand back on my waist and his lips nuzzling my breast. "Just feel," he murmured before taking my nipple back between his lips.

Slowly his hand left my waist, traveling down over my hip bone then in to rest on my mound. I let out a small gasp at his touch, making him shake his head. Lifting his eyes and pulling his mouth away from my skin, he just smiled. "Trust me?" he asked, his fingers moving slightly over my slit. At my slightly panicked nod he added, "Spread your legs, just a little." As I did so, his lips returned to my breast once more, and his fingers slipped down.

Giving a small groan he touched me deeply, his fingers in constant motion. That tightening in my stomach clenched down as I lost myself in the feeling of his touch. A moan left my lips, followed by another and another as that small spot in my abdomen collapsed down. "Go," he said, rubbing me harder, running his tongue over my nipple, sending me over an edge I never encountered before.

In a second he was on top of me, his hips settled between my legs and I felt him press up against my entrance. Still gasping for breath I froze, then heard him give a small groan. He stilled over me for just a second before he began to kiss me lightly again. With another groan he rolled off of me and gathered me into his arms. "Aren't you going to?" I asked, allowing myself to be pulled onto my side.

"Not right now," he answered. "You're still too nervous. Later," he finished, placing a kiss on my forehead. "Just sleep for now."

"But…" I started, but he placed a finger on my lips.

"Just sleep, my love." He gently pressed my head down into the crook of his shoulder. As my breathing calmed my entire body relaxed. The long day crashed in on me, and within seconds, it seemed, I was asleep.

_We were walking along a forest path, my dress loose around my body, sliding softly across my skin. The only sounds around us were those of birds singing to the warm sun that also heated our bodies. I felt him stop and turn me so his lips met mine. "I love you," he murmured as his hands started the all-too-familiar path to all the places that made my body sing._

_Out of nowhere a blanket appeared on the ground and he was lowering me down into the soft mattress of pine needles. My dress was gone and his hands and lips were everywhere. I was completely naked beneath him as he reached between my legs, rubbing me in a way he knew I enjoyed. "Oh, please," I begged, pushing my chest up towards his mouth. Not stopping what he was doing below he lowered his lips to my nipple, sucking me in deep and hard as the pressure between at the apex of my thighs increased._

_Soon I was crashing, calling for him, needing him in a way that had me pulling him up my body. "Now," I begged, "please."_

_"Oh, Bella," he groaned as he started to push inside of me._

My eyes sprung open at the intrusion, gasping at the shock of feeling myself tearing inside. Only, in a moment the pain was overshadowed with a burning desire to feel him move. "Please," I begged again, pushing up with my hips, still shuddering from the effects of the orgasm that must have happened while I was sleeping. "Don't stop."

His groan was low and loud in my ear as he started to push in and out of me, holding me tightly in his arms. "Oh, Bella, I love you," he murmured, causing my heart to clench along with that spot in my stomach.

I could feel a tear trickle down my cheek, whether it was from the momentary pain or the joy in my heart at hearing him say those words to me, I didn't know. I wrapped my hands around his waist, trailing them down to his backside and holding on. He groaned again, and it seemed as if he expanded inside of me, before his entire body clenched, then shook. His lips crashed into mine, groaning into my mouth as he found his release.

Panting he lay partially on top of me, trying to hold most of his weight off of me. A finger trailed down from my eye into my hair. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Mmhmm," I told him, tracing a hand down his chest, my fingers getting caught in the hair there.

"You're crying," he said, moving slightly to pull out of me. "I've hurt you." His voice sounded pained, far more than my few tears warranted.

"It was going to hurt no matter what," I told him, "but I felt more than pain. It was wonderful, Edward." With a little push I had him on his back and nestled myself back into that spot in his shoulder. "It was more the surprise than anything."

His hand ran through my hair, "I love you, wife."

"And I love you," I murmured against his chest. Sleepiness was returning, making my eyelids feel leaden. "When do we need to get up?" I asked.

"Our flight isn't until noon, so go back to sleep. We have a few hours yet." Wrapping my arm around his torso I adjusted until I was comfortable. His chuckle met my ears. "Are you settling down or trying to get me ready to go again?"

A light slap to his stomach made him grab my wrist. "Go to sleep, love," he said, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. Closing my eyes I once again fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

Whew, just an epilogue!


	63. Chapter 63 Charm

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Duplicity  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Charm

* * *

"May I help you?" I asked the immaculately dressed beauty in front of me. She was young, only in her early twenties, probably fresh out of college. It seemed like it was only yesterday that this had been me, only, I doubt I was ever as pretty. Her hair was golden blond, her figure one that would have rivaled Rosalie's before her four children, and it appeared that she was quite aware of her assets.

"I have an interview with Edward Cullen," she said, primping slightly.

"You must be Natalie?" I asked, getting a nod in reply. "I'll let him know you're here, if you would like to take a seat?" I indicated the couches in front of my desk, which she turned and walked toward. "He's running late in a meeting, so it will be a few minutes. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Some water would be nice?" she asked. With a nod I went to fetch her some.

Settling behind my computer again I went to work. The company was still family run, but Carlisle had retired a few years ago, leaving Edward in charge. Emmett had been thrilled with that decision, not wanting work to cut into his golf game, or as Rosalie put it, 'male bonding with his sons' time.

A beep on my phone alerted me to an incoming text.

_Is she here? What do you think?_ Edward asked, making me smile. He really hated the hiring and firing process, so would have me vet some of the applicants.

_She seems charming._ I sent back.

_No one can charm me the way you do, Mrs. Cullen _was his reply, making me giggle. Even after all these years he still had that affect on me.

The elevator opened behind Natalie, and as soon as Edward's eyes caught mine he started to sing. "She's such a charmer, oh!"

"Kings of Leon? Really? You know what your children would say," I laughed as he walked over to me. "Besides, I don't think that song is really about her being charming."

He pulled me from my chair and wrapped his arms around me. With a shrug he said, "It's the best I could come up with, and it's a classic. And trust me, charming isn't what I'm looking forward to tonight." Leaning down he gave me a small peck on the lips.

"You've been spending too much time with your brother, and are putting on quite the show," I laughed, trying to push him away and pointing to where the now surprised girl sat. Giving her a smile I introduced them. "Natalie, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, Natalie is applying to work in the IT department to be in charge of ebooks."

"Natalie," he said, reaching out a hand to shake hers, dragging me bodily with him as he walked over.

"Hey, you're supposed to let go of the wife when you do that," I teased, slapping his chest and trying to get away. Natalie seemed in shock, stymied by his beauty. Even though twenty-five years had passed since our wedding, and his hard stomach was now more like a small Buddha belly, he still had that affect on women. "My apologies, Natalie, it's our anniversary so he's being a bit silly."

She gave a small shake to her head, seeming to try to snap herself out of ogling my husband. I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing. "Oh, congratulations," she said, shaking Edward's hand. "How long have you been married?"

"Twenty-five years," Edward said, beaming. "Twenty-five years ago I managed to trick her into marrying me." Natalie was confused.

"I thought I tricked you," I said, laying my head on his shoulder since he obviously wasn't going to let me go.

"No, you tricked your mom, I found out and tricked you. We could have just as easily come clean, but I wanted you too much." He gave me another squeeze, and then with a sigh let me go. "Well, let's do this, Natalie," he said turning to lead her to the conference room. "Are you joining us Bella?" he asked as he held the door open, his eyes pleading behind the girl's back.

I rolled mine, he really did hate this. "I'll be there in a few minutes, just let me finish this correspondence." His shoulders fell as he relaxed and mouthed 'thank you', following the pretty blonde through the door. To be honest, I wasn't sure what he disliked more, interviewing or being stuck alone in a room with a pretty girl. Some of them tried to flirt with him; it always made him uncomfortable. To this day he refuses to step foot into any Hooter's restaurant.

Natalie was sitting demurely when I joined them, answering all of Edward's questions. It seemed she had brains to match the beauty, something that would make Rosalie smile, and was asking about the system. Half an hour later she was suggesting ways to improve it. Ten minutes after that she was excused, but a look between Edward and me confirmed that we both wanted to hire her. There were another three people left to interview, and the possibility existed that someone could impress us as much, so we had to give them a chance, but I knew I would be talking to HR and writing an offer letter just in case.

Edward walked her to the elevators, shaking her hand and telling her we'd let her know in a week. Gathering our notes I took them to my desk; it had taken me about ten years to stop calling it Mrs. Cope's desk. Powering back up the computer I sat down to type when I felt Edward beside me. "Mrs. Cullen, can I talk to you in the conference room?" he asked, holding out his hand. "I think we should discuss this candidate in private."

Rolling my eyes at him I stood and took his hand, walking beside him comfortably. Only, when we got in there he turned and locked the doors. "What are you doing?" I asked, hands on hips.

"Just something that's been a fantasy of mine for over twenty-five years," he said, his eyes burning as he pulled me into his arms.

"I thought we took care of that one years ago. I have a memory of coming in here on a weekend a couple years after we married," I said with a laugh, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Hmm, true, but never during work hours," he crooned, bending down to place a kiss under my ear.

"Don't you think we're a little old for table sex?" I asked, my breathing catching in the way it always did. He knew all my spots and used them to his advantage. "Don't you think the wood will be hard?"

Pushing his hips into my stomach I felt his desire. "Oh, the wood will be very hard, Mrs. Cullen." It was impossible not to groan in pain at his horrible pun. "I do hope that's desire and not mockery I hear."

"Trust me, it's mockery," I said, letting my hands drop down to cup his backside.

"But you love it," he whispered, his fingers pulling open my blouse so he could place kisses on my collarbone.

"I love you," I answered, giving myself up to him. His fingers reached down and pulled up my skirt, quickly divesting me of my panties. My hands were at his pants, dropping them as I palmed him through his briefs. It took him a little work to get fully erect these days, not that I minded helping. It was just one of the joys of aging.

Leaning back I looked at the man who had loved me through pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain, arguments, and frustration with each other and the kids. His hair was thinner on top, graying at the temples. He had also gained weight, finding more pleasure in snuggling in bed than in running these days. And yet, when I looked at him, all I saw was the man I loved. Judging from the looks Natalie gave him he was still a very handsome man.

He had me hop up on the edge of the table, there was no way his bad back could lift my additional weight, but I didn't mind. Laying flat on it I welcomed him inside of me with pleasure, great pleasure. No longer did his hands travel all over my body, instead going straight to the places he knew I liked. It took a little extra effort these days, but he had slowed down as well. We just took our time to enjoy being together. Eventually I did manage to fall apart, wrapping my legs around his hips as he moaned his pleasure at my release. It was only a few more strokes before he followed me.

He held my hand as I hopped down from the table and helped me dress. A smile was on both our faces as we walked hand in hand from the room. With a soft kiss he left me at my desk to return to his office to work.

Powering up my computer once more I noticed an email from my nephew, John. He had been a rugby player in high school and had opted to be in charge of security at the company. The spitting image of Emmett, in personality as well as looks, he was always fun to be around. The title of the email was 'Security Cameras', and it was addressed to both Edward and me. Clicking it open it had just three sentences.

_Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward, please be aware that we have installed security cameras in all conference rooms. I switched them off when you started, please let me know when I can turn them back on. I'm so telling my parents!_

* * *

I wanted to show you a normal day in their lives together. Granted it's their anniversary, but you get the idea of just how comfortable they are with each other.

My husband refuses to go into Hooters alone because he can't stand it when the girls flirt with him. It makes me laugh (nope, not jealous at all; I know whom he loves). One of my nephews plays rugby; he's on the Highland High rugby team that was featured in the movie Forever Strong. If you haven't seen that movie, go rent it, you'll be glad you did.


	64. Chapter 64 Naughty

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Naughty

**Not-so-quick catch-up:** Edward found Bella, homeless, cold and starving, in a subway stairwell during an ice storm. He took her home, where he shared an apartment with his friend Tanya, to clean her up and feed her. She offered to cook and clean for them and Tanya begged Edward to let her stay on as a live-in maid. The story of how Bella came to be in the condition Edward found her in slowly came out, prompting Edward to research her past. Edward and Bella began to fall in love, and Tanya moved upstairs to give them space. As a result of Edward's searching, the people after Bella realized he had her, and attacked, but Tanya incapacitated the assailant. As a result of this, and with fear for their safety, Bella left.

More research by Edward over the following months yielded information on who was responsible and what they were up to, so with Tanya in tow he called his father to meet at a restaurant they had frequented for years. The owner of the establishment had a granddaughter, Tabitha, who was called in to help. Shortly thereafter, Bella was found in Central Park, across from Edward's apartment. The Volturi brothers, who liked to take out insurance policies on young sport stars, then kill off the beneficiaries and player, showed up in Edward's apartment and a gun battle ensued, where Bella took out one gunman and wounded one of the Volturi. Edward was shot, but not critically wounded.

We last left them with Edward trying to convince Bella that she wouldn't be tried for murder and wanting her to seek therapy for having killed a man. He asked her to marry him to allow his insurance to cover the costs. Bella pointed out that with his bosses in jail he may not have insurance anymore, so Edward recommended his brother-in-law, Jasper. After some kissing another agent knocked on the door, startling Bella. He was wearing a long coat and holding a badge, introducing himself as Felix Johnson and wanting to ask questions.

If you want to reread the chapters, go to the following: Fictionista Workshop Challenge, chapters: 116, 130, and 133. Fictionista Workshop Challenge 2, chapters: 2, 8, 11, 15, 20, 25, 29, 35, 40, 41, 46, 51, 56, 62, 68. Fictionista Workshop Challenge 3, chapters: 5, 11, 16, 23, 29, 35, 41, 47, 53, 59, 65. Fictionista Workshop Challenge 4, chapters: 6, 12, 18 and this one!

Whew, now on to reading!

* * *

Agent Johnson walked further into the room with a smile on his face. "I'm sorry to interrupt," he said, a small smirk escaping as he took in the intimacy of our embrace. "I can see it's a bad time but my superiors insisted I come as soon as Edward was able to speak." He looked at me pointedly, "I assume you are Edward Cullen?"

Bella shifted beside me during this interchange. She seemed to be almost cowering into the bed and at the same time moving to shield me with her body. I could see her hand moving to the side of the bed, a motion Agent Johnson's eyes caught as well, although he relaxed when she gripped the railing. "Yes, sir, I'm Edward Cullen," I told him as I tried to reach for Bella's other hand. She gave me a small shake of her head, and I smiled. She wasn't one for public displays of affection, even if it was a single agent.

His eyes lit up. "Very good, sir," he said, walking over to where the lone chair in the room was. "You're not expecting anyone, are you? I hate being interrupted and wouldn't want them to hear your answers, for security reasons."

"No, we're not expecting anyone," I told him, watching Bella reach for the button on my morphine drip. Only, it wasn't the one the nurse had shown me earlier.

Agent Johnson also watched. "Will that make it so you can't answer questions?" he asked, seeming somewhat irritated that she pushed the button. "Are you in that much pain?"

Bella turned back to me and said, "Lie there, this will make things better." When I looked at her, obviously confused, she gave another small shake of her head. "The doctor said you weren't to have any pain."

Her eyes were imploring me to go along, so I nodded to my questioner. "I'll be fine, ask away. Do you need Bella to leave?"

His smile returned, broader than before. "So this is the elusive Bella Swan? No, please, having her here makes my job easier. I can take care of both of you at once."

He questioned me for a few minutes regarding my search for Bella and information on who was hunting her. He seemed particularly interested how I had come to the conclusion that the senior partners in the firm were responsible and what they were doing, taking copious notes.

Then he turned to Bella. "I'm curious as to how you evaded everyone for so long. Would you please tell me where you hid?"

Bella stared at him for a moment. If I hadn't been right next to her I wouldn't have been aware of the slight shudder of fear that ran through her. "No, I won't," she said, the strength of her voice belying the tenseness I felt in her body.

"Bella," I said, trying to reason with her, but was cut off by the officer.

"That could be seen as obstruction of justice, Miss Swan," he said, pushing aside the coat he hadn't taken off. "I'd hate to have to be more persuasive." A quick glance down revealed his service revolver on his side. Bella had also seen it, but instead of freezing up even more she seemed to relax.

"I'd like to see you try, here, in a hospital, with police all around us," she said, baiting him.

"They wouldn't find you until he was due for his next examination, which isn't for another hour," he said, reaching into the side pocket of his coat and putting away the notepad he had been writing on. From the same pocket he pulled out a long barrel with holes along it. Bella gasped. "Now," he said, removing the revolver and slowly screwing on what had to be a silencer, "shall I shoot him in the head or are you going to answer my questions?"

"If you kill him I'll never answer your questions," she hissed.

"You're being a naughty girl, Bella. We could have avoided this unpleasantness if you'd only cooperated from the beginning. I hated having to kill your mother, but she screamed when Demetri shot your step-father." He walked over to where the morphine drip was and started to push some buttons. "I can increase his dose, you know. I'm quite familiar with these. If you answer my question satisfactorily I'll not change anything, but if you don't, well, that button gets pushed again and again until lover-boy there is catatonic."

She shrugged, not looking at me, but her face was draining of all color. "Push it," she bluffed, "it'll register in the nurse's station that the dose has changed."

"Ah, Bella," he said, shaking his head, "I told you I know how to run these things." Keeping the gun trained on us he started pushing buttons. His focus was split between what he was doing and making sure we didn't move.

Bella squirmed down lower and stage-whispered, "I'm sorry, I love you," into my ear. Leaning over to kiss me she whispered, "Fake it," against my lips. I gave a little nod to indicate I understood. Faking the feat wouldn't be hard, until I noticed he picked up the same button Bella had pressed earlier that failed to deliver any drug.

With a haughty look he jammed his thumb down. "Any minute now he'll be asleep. In three minutes I'll deliver an even higher dose." I started to blink my eyes as if I couldn't keep them open and forced my body to relax. "Now, tell me how you eluded us for so long."

"I hid," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Turning to me she rolled her eyes slightly and leaned forward, "Edward? Are you still with us?" Her voice sounded panicked but her eyes were forceful. Oh, I was supposed to be going unconscious. Blinking a few more times I nodded slowly.

"I know you hid," Felix ground out, "what I want to know is where and how."

I closed my eyes, hating to do so but knowing I needed to keep up an act. Still, it was possible to feel Bella move beside me as she turned to face our inquisitor. She waited a while, probably acting like she was deciding whether to answer or not, before saying, "Everywhere, the homeless are often ignored."

"We watched the shelters," he replied, and I could hear him take a step closer.

"I almost never went into them," Bella replied after waiting to answer again.

A huff of frustration came from him and I could easily picture him shaking his head. "I guess he needs another dose since you don't seem to be very forthcoming."

"No!" she cried, all but jumping across me.

Suddenly the room was full of sound. Tabitha's voice reached me, yelling at Felix, and a quiet pop was heard, followed quickly by a groan of pain from Bella. By now my eyes were open and I was grabbing the love of my life and twisting, ignoring the pain in my side. "No!" I screamed when I saw a bloom of red appear low on her stomach, her hand going there quickly as she whimpered.

Another shot fired, this one loud and reverberating in the room, and I turned to see Felix fall to the ground. Tabitha was unnecessarily screaming for a nurse, because the room was being flooded with people. The majority of them ran to my side, taking my girl away from me and carrying her off. A couple more were holding me down, yelling that I would tear my stitches if I didn't keep still. From the corner of my eye I could see one person checking for a pulse on Felix and declaring him dead.

"Get him sedated!" one of the orderlies yelled, pointing at my morphine drip.

"He changed the settings," a nurse called back, "let me fix it first or you'll kill him."

"No! Take me to Bella!" I yelled to no avail, still fighting to get up. Soon I felt the cooling chill of morphine hit my veins. "No!" I yelled, quieter this time, still fighting until blackness sucked me under once more.

* * *

I know, I'm mean to leave it like that, but I had to find where all the chapters were. More tomorrow!


	65. Chapter 65 Initiate

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Initiate  
**Dialogue Flex**: "So tell me about yourself," he started.

* * *

Pushing the darkness away the first thing that reached my foggy brain was voices. Whispering, ebbing and flowing as feeling returned to my extremities. After a while I could make out my father's voice, and judging from his questions the other male voice belonged to a doctor. A soft beeping noise was intermixed with the voices and, while it had been keeping a steady rhythm before, now it was increasing in tempo slightly.

"I think he's coming around," the other man said.

"Edward?" a woman's voice called from next to me; my mother. "Can you hear us?"

With a groan I tried to move, turning my head toward my mother's voice. "Bella?" I asked, fear lancing through me as memories of blood staining her stomach flooded back. The beeping was increasing in speed.

"What honey? I can't hear you," my mother's soft voice said. I felt her hand on my arm, warm and comforting.

"Bella," I said again, feeling like I was almost shouting in my head.

"Carlisle? Can you make out what he's asking?" my mother said.

My eyes started to blink open, able to make out vague forms moving around me. Someone in a white coat was at the side of me opposite my mother. "He's getting agitated," the man I assumed to be the doctor's voice said.

"Ask again, dear," my mother begged.

"Maybe he needs some water?" my father asked. At that moment I realized just how parched I was, so nodded. In seconds a straw was placed in my mouth. Pain lanced my side as I pulled some of the cool water into my mouth, making me wonder if I had torn the stitches from my own gunshot. That thought sent me right back to Bella.

"Bella," I croaked out again, my hand grabbing hold of the arm of the doctor with all the strength I had. He easily removed it from his arm, indicating that the strength I had wasn't much, and gave me a smile.

"She'll recover," he told me, and my entire body relaxed at those words.

"How bad?" I asked him, feeling my mother grasp my hand but ignoring her until I got the information I needed.

"Not as bad as you," he said. "Where you even aware you were shot again?" I'm sure my look was one of confusion, because he chuckled. "I thought not." Turning from me he grabbed a chair and pulled it over. Sitting down he started. "You were shot pretty close…" his voice trailed off as I shook my head.

"Bella," I insisted.

"Are you next of kin?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Fiancée," I answered. I had asked her, that much was in my memory, but couldn't recall if she had said yes. Still, I was a lawyer, and knew that would be enough to get the information I wanted. I hadn't counted on my mother's gasp, but could deal with that later.

"She's a lucky young lady. We had to repair her intestines and remove one of her ovaries, but the bullet missed her major organs and spine. You're in a different room than before, if you hadn't noticed, and she's right next to you. We expect her to make a full recovery, and there shouldn't be any trouble with her having children," he added with a wink. Then he sighed, deep and long. "This incident caused us to initiate some serious security measures. That federal agent of yours has been like a lioness, patting down everyone who's tried to get into your rooms, even the doctors, nurses and orderlies."

"So, are you ready to hear about you now?" he asked, leaning back some. The look on his face indicated that he wasn't going to talk about Bella anymore, so I nodded. It seemed this second bullet entered my left lung, but missed my heart. It had nicked a major vein, but since I was right here in the hospital, and surrounded by medical staff, they were able to whisk both Bella and myself into surgery rather quickly. Felix was in the morgue.

"Can I see her?" I asked. The doctor looked to my father, and my eyes followed his path. Dad looked at me, smiled and nodded.

"We're having you both moved today," dad told me, "to a prison hospital." He actually chuckled at that. "It was decided that was the safest place for you both, and the government will take great care of you. Apparently they want you both to testify against your firm and the senior partners, so you're being put somewhere they can watch out for your safety."

I nodded my understanding and repeated my question. "When can I see Bella?"

"Now, if you can move," the doctor said, getting up from his chair. I nodded, so he walked over and stuck his head out of the door. From where I was it was possible to see police officers holding assault rifles, standing guard. "He wants to see her," the doctor said before closing the door. "I hate those things," he muttered as he came to stand beside me again. "They're getting you a wheelchair," he explained.

We waited for a few minutes until the door opened again. This time a young woman came in, looking a bit flustered and shaking her head. With her help, and that of the doctor and my parents, I was able to get into the chair. Resting my head back and panting, feeling the pull of my lung, I pointed to the door, unable to speak and hoping they understood. Thankfully, they did.

Outside of my room I could see the first guard, plus three more, two in front of the door next to me. A glance down the hall revealed even more police, both armed and undercover, standing around and looking quite intimidating. I was stopped in front of Bella's door, and a search was begun of my chair and person. "Oh good grief, you saw me wheel him out of his room just now!" the young nurse behind me griped in annoyance. She was given a firm stare before being patted down herself. It seemed they really were taking security very seriously this time.

Finally we were admitted. A man was sitting next to my girl, talking to her. "So tell me about yourself," he started to say, turning to me as the door opened. "Is this Edward?"

"Yes," she murmured, drawing my eyes to hers. My entire body lit up at seeing her. She was paler than normal, winced when she tried to move, but she was there, alive, looking at me. "Edward," she whispered, holding her hand out to me, "should you be up?"

"I wanted to see you, make sure you were all right," I said, annoyed it was taking so long to reach her side, but the nurse was moving IV lines and wires out of the way of the chair. Finally she stood and wheeled me over next to Bella's bed. "Hey, you," I said, reaching for her hand. She tentatively put her fingers into mine. They felt cold, so I asked, "Are you warm enough?"

"She lost a great deal of blood," the doctor said behind me. "We had to give her a transfusion, but she's still a bit low."

"To bad you can't crawl in here with me and keep me warm," she said, blushing profusely.

"I wish I could," I told her.

The man who had been talking to her cleared his throat, drawing my attention. He looked a bit uncomfortable, probably from our conversation, but reached out a hand to shake mine. "I'm Attorney General Miller. You two are the biggest thing to hit my office in a decade, so I'm glad you're recovering. I understand you're responsible for outing your bosses?" he asked, smiling at me like a kid in a candy store. When I nodded he continued, "I've been after them since I took office, and you managed to find more in the space of a few months than I uncovered in years. Assuming you don't have to go into witness protection, I'd like to offer you a job when this is all over."

* * *

See, everyone survived! Well, not Felix, I do hope nobody is upset over that.


	66. Chapter 66 Giggle

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Giggle

* * *

To say I was stunned by his offer would be an understatement. Reaching my hand out to shake his I said, "That's very generous and kind, sir. Do you really think we could _not _go into witness protection?"

He nodded, shaking my hand. "Probably. Your girl here has been giving me a list of names, and knows many more faces, that are in the organization. Seems she's had run-ins with them all. Your bosses seemed to know she was a force to be reckoned with." Bella blushed warmly at the praise, but all I could do was nod. I know she had shaken my world beyond belief.

The hand that had been shaking the DA's now moved over to grip Bella's again. Holding her, assuring myself that she was going to be all right, was what was most important to me at this moment. Bella looked shyly down to me, and our eyes held, saying the things we couldn't in front of her visitor.

DA Miller cleared his throat. When I looked over to him he seemed embarrassed, shuffling on his feet and blushing. "Well, I'll let you two have some privacy, we can all get to know each other later." He bent and picked up his coat, it looked as if the pockets had been turned inside out. "I think you're in capable hands for now, and I'll send over books of photos for you to look at, Bella."

"Can you get FBI agents as well?" she asked.

"After what happened? No doubt. The chief is livid over there," he said with a chuckle. "Oh, you might like to know that your Miss Tabitha was promoted." We said our goodbyes quickly after that, and finally Bella and I were alone.

"I'm so sorry…" she started, but I cut her off.

"I should have protected you!"

"You were shot and in a hospital bed," she argued back, her voice quiet but strong. "It's my fault, I knew better than to come back to you, and I knew that just having Aro, Caius and Marcus arrested weren't enough to stop them, but I just couldn't stay away…" her voice trailed off, replaced by a sob. My heart wrenched when I saw her put her hand to her stomach to give it support as she cried, the pain it caused her apparent on her face.

"Shh, Bella, no, don't cry honey," I said, reaching as far as I could to soothe her, but wincing when it pulled on both of my injuries. "I'm sorry, I'm unable to comfort you properly."

"And it's all my fault," she whimpered.

"No, it's their fault!" I all but shouted. "Part of me wants to watch them get the death penalty and be at the execution for what they've done to you!"

"And the other part?" she asked, tears still flowing down her face but her sobs quieting.

"Wants to hold you in my arms, and thank them for making it so that you were sent into my life." My head shook as I tried to reason through the conflicting emotions coursing through me. "I hate that you've been through so much, but can't even imagine how boring my life would be without you."

"Yeah, not getting shot, not having your place ransacked, not having people want to kill you, how boring is that?" she asked sarcastically.

I grabbed at her hand and tugged lightly to get her attention. "Not falling in love, not finding someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, wondering what the point is to working so hard when you have no one to share it with, it's horribly boring." The tears in her eyes spilled, but the pain behind them had lessened. "It wasn't only to get you insurance that I asked you to marry me, Bella."

"We both have years ahead of us of trials, being in the crosshairs as everyone in the organization comes after us to silence us," she said, but I could hear hope. She hadn't said no.

"Every couple has trials, Bella," I teased, and rejoiced when she gave a small giggle, rolling her eyes at the same time. "We have to face them together, why not as husband and wife?"

She looked at me, staring into my eyes in disbelief. "You're serious," she whispered.

"Completely."

Another tear trickled down her face as I waited for her answer. Tension built inside of me, she wasn't smiling, but she wasn't frowning either. It actually seemed as if she were in shock. When I couldn't take it anymore, I begged. "Please, say yes Bella."

"Yes," she whispered, so quietly I wasn't sure if I had heard her correctly. Now it was my turn to be in shock.

"Yes? You said yes?" I asked, incredulous at my luck.

She began to nod as more tears flowed down her cheeks. A smile broke out on her face like the rising of the sun. "Yes," she said emphatically, then laughed. "Imagine telling our children about how you proposed!" Then her face fell. "Do you want children? I didn't mean to presume. I want children, but if you don't I'll understand…"

"Bella, yes, yes, please slow down," I said, my heart dancing inside as I talked over her. "I do want children, and a home of our own, where we can grow old, fat and grey surrounded by our grandchildren."

"You don't want to live in the city?" she asked, still smiling.

"I'll live wherever you want. Being a lawyer, as long as I pass the bar in that state, we can go anywhere. I'm actually licensed in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, since the Volturi had me doing work in those states." I leaned back in the wheelchair, completely drained and yet strangely invigorated. Bella had said yes to marrying me and now I was grinning like a fool. It was a good thing, since my mother had heard me refer to her as my fiancée. Explaining that one would have been horrible.

"You look so tired," Bella said, running her fingers over my hand. "You should probably go back to bed."

"I wish I could be in here with you," I told her, "or you with me. Maybe if we got married they'd let us?"

She gave a little laugh, holding her stomach. "What, do you want to get married in the hospital chapel tomorrow?"

"Do you think they'd let us?" I asked, and she started shaking her head. "Why not?"

"I wouldn't let us. While I don't want a big wedding, I do want a real one," she whispered, her fingers stroking my hand. She was looking tired as well, and I could feel my wounds more acutely so knew fatigue was taking its toll on me. "Go back to bed, Edward. I'm going to want you completely healed when we get married." The way she blushed when she said that left no doubt as to what she was referring to, mainly because I was thinking it as well.

Reaching for the call button for the nurse to take me back to my room, I paused right before depressing it. "I wish I could kiss you now."

"There'll be time for that later. Go to bed and one day I'll join you there," she said, her face now a riot of color. With an answering smile I pushed the button.

* * *

Happy Monday!


	67. Chapter 67

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Newcomer

* * *

We spent four more days in the hospital. There was so much visiting back and forth that they decided that, once they moved us, we would be sharing a room, with a privacy curtain, naturally. In that time there had been a raid on my old place of employment. The guards for my room were kept incredibly busy frisking coworkers who came to check up on me, shocked that I'd been shot, twice.

Of course, there were some coworkers who were arrested when they showed up, having no knowledge that there was incriminating evidence against them on my computer. Some actually tried to sneak in weapons, and were subsequently arrested. Based on interviews of the employees it was easy to ferret out which side most of them fell on, guilty or not guilty. The vast majority had been like me, blissfully ignorant. DA Miller kept me up to date on all the arrests, and by the time we were being moved, only a handful had managed to elude capture.

Despite my refusal to go to a prison hospital for the remainder of our recovery, that is where we ended up. We were placed in a high security facility for white collar crimes, which meant that while we were treated like prisoners, we were also well tended. The best part was now Bella was only an arm's length away.

My family had been to visit us regularly, falling in love with Bella just as I had. My father had teased her that he had been right, there was something up with her, but he was glad she wasn't trouble the way he thought. Within another three weeks we were able to be released, the question was where?

Bella and I were in a meeting with the DA, my father, Tabitha, and a few others who were trying to figure out where to move us to, when the warden came by to let us know we had a visitor. He didn't seem happy. "She's a newcomer," he told us, "Russian, from the sounds of it. Seems like one of your family gave away your location."

"Did she give a name?" I asked, not daring to hope. It had been over a month since we'd seen or heard about Tanya. Tabitha had spirited her away in the melee, saying she was hidden for her protection, but then, one day, she had up and left. She'd left behind a note saying she couldn't live that way, that she'd managed to avoid being shot by Demetri, and could take care of herself.

"Yep," the warden said. "Tanya Denali. You know her?" I looked over to Bella and saw the same smile on her face that had to be on my own.

"Yes, we know her!" I cried, jumping up as fast as I was able, grimacing. Seems being shot took a while longer to heal than I had expected. "Can we see her?" My eyes scanned those of my protectors, and they all nodded. Tabitha looked as happy as I felt.

The warden left and a few minutes later we could hear her in the hall. "Why they locked up like rats? They not do anything wrong!" The warden's voice followed, but not nearly as loudly or shrilly. "Please, as if you protect them here! Three cars outside with drivers waiting, knowing they here. I see them before, but it's not me they want. But you do nothing."

"They aren't in here, are they?" the warden replied, his voice clearer now that they were closer.

"And if real prisoners get hurt, then what you do? You think they not try to get to them that way?" she asked. The clicking of her heels was growing louder as she approached, and I could only imagine that she had that poor man at a run to keep up. A glance at Bella showed that she was as amused as me.

"Any injured inmates are taken to another facility, ma'am," he said. I almost burst out laughing when he called her 'ma'am', knowing she would think that he thought her old. Models don't get old.

The door finally opened, and there stood my friend of so many years. "Oh, my poor, poor dear!" she cried, and ran straight to Bella, grabbing her into a tight hug. "So much hurt. Alice say you shot, but then they lock you up? Yet you are beautiful as ever. Is no wonder Edvard cannot see anyone else."

"Hello, Tanya," I said, trying to fight a smile at seeing Bella cringe away from so much loving attention.

"Yes, yes, I know you there," she said, waving a hand in my direction. "I must see to girl first. She has been shot."

"I was shot too," I complained, but was immediately waved quiet.

"Yes, but you big, strong man. She is fragile flower." She turned her full attention back to my Bella. "Alice say you getting married. You have lost weight and need to eat more, although prison food must be vile." The warden called out 'hey!' but Tanya ignored him and kept going. "I have fine apartment for two of you to live in, right next door to my new one, only one block from old place. You will stay with me until married, then can sleep with Edvard. Idiots never find us, we hide too close and yet far enough away. Oh, you will be most beautiful bride. We must design you dress."

"Don't be rude to Edward and the warden, Tanya," Bella laughed, finally able to get a word in edgewise. "And I don't need a fancy dress."

"I not say fancy, I say design. I know just the thing. You will trust me, I will sew, you will love," she said, giving Bella a final hug. Then she turned on me, glaring. "How you let this happen to her?"

"By getting shot. Again," I told her with a smirk. I could see the loving concern behind the glare and words. "I'm fine, Tanya. Or, I will be, once I can breathe fully again."

"Oh, Edvard," she cried, rushing to me to wrap her arms around me. Her tears wet my shirt as she clung to me. "You made me so scared. When Tabita haul me away, she tell me you very hurt. It broke my heart." Leaning back she glared at me again. "Never scare me that way again or I will be very angry with you."

"I'm sorry, Tanya," I said, rubbing her back with one hand and reaching the other out to Bella, who stood smiling at us. "How about I make it up to you? You can be my best man."

She fitted me with another glare. "Do not be ridiculous. I am maid of honor, is not right, Bella?" she asked, reaching for Bella's free hand who gave it to her freely.

"Of course," she said with a laugh, looking up at me with eyes full of love. "But then who would be Edward's best man?"

"Emmett," she offered, making us both groan. "He is good brother, if obnoxious. Besides, will not be able to have bachelor party, so are safe from that."

"If I may interrupt?" DA Miller asked, walking over to us. "You are living a block away from where you were, and no one was able to find you?" he asked Tanya.

"Is easy, New York is big city. I take subway to different grocers each time and go out for food instead of having delivered. Is very safe." I could tell the DA was floored, but his smile was huge.

"How much is the rent?"

"Is rent control. Person who had before is in nursing home, so very cheap." She stepped out of Bella and my embrace to talk to him properly. "I have been paying rent, knowing I could find them. Moving them in is easy part. How you get them out with people watching?"

* * *

I missed Tanya. She's one of my favorite characters in this. Since it's been a while, yes, she is in love with Edward, but she wants what makes him happy and knows that's Bella. Plus, she refused to allow her feelings for Edward affect her relationship with Bella, and could see she was a good person and loved her like a sister.

I will add that I really dislike the way the fandom treats Tanya. I always felt sorry for her. She sent Edward back to Bella in the beginning, despite her own hopes in that regard (chapter 2 of MS). She took her sister's side (EC) only to realize later she was wrong (BD), then lost that same sister (BD). She welcomed Bella to the family at the wedding, yet is the only one who ends up with no one to love (BD). Personally, I'd love to see a story where she meets her mate. Anyone? Anyone?


	68. Chapter 68 Pleasure

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Pleasure

* * *

It was decided that the best way to sneak us out of the prison was to create a diversion. Everyone who was parked in front, including those waiting for loved ones to be released, were arrested. Sirens blared and much screaming ensued, but Bella and I saw none of it, since we were loaded into laundry hampers with sheets piled on top of us. The laundry truck had been 'searched' by those who could be trusted while the melee was going on, so we could hear the sirens and yelling from the side of the building we were on.

Thankfully we weren't stuck back there long. The truck took an exit and we snuck out the back after the driver left. All he knew was he was required to pick up a load at a certain restaurant that had never been on his route before. We were picked up by Tanya.

"Why aren't you being followed?" I asked her when we hopped in the car. "You are involved with us."

She laughed. "Is how you play game, Edvard." She turned to me with a wink. "After Demetri failed in my apartment, Volturi came to me to make offer. I accepted."

"What!" I yelled, looking with panic into the backseat at Bella, who started to laugh and shake her head. Looking back at Tanya I saw her look at Bella and wink.

"Bella tell me to, if I am approached, before Demetri came. She say that way is easier to fool them. I tell them yes, but refuse to hurt you or Bella, they agree." She let out another laugh as she turned onto the interstate that led back to the city. "Tabitha have much fun with my testimony, but is why I sneak away, to go to them and report what happen. They think I work for them, give me much money, and now told Tabitha who is in charge. Is why she knew Felix was coming, I send message."

"Tanya, that's very dangerous," I said, highly concerned for her safety. If they found out then she would be in more danger than we were.

"Is my pleasure. We have mafia in Russia, they ruin my country. Now I fight them here." She gave a small shrug. "They will not be around much longer, I give Tabitha many names. Arrests at prison not the only ones happening today. I will be arrested tonight, to keep up façade, then be let out for lack of evidence. My sister here, Kate, she knows everything and will cover up sounds in apartment when I'm gone. She good screamer, will fight with police. Will be much fun for all." She gave a small frown. "Well, maybe not for police."

Bella was still holding her stomach as she laughed, not quite fully healed after only a month's time. I was in shock, amazed at the lengths the women in my life were willing to go to in the name of justice. Tanya just serenely drove us to her home.

After parking underneath the building she led us out back. I could see some undercover officers looking down the street and occasionally looking up at her building. "They pretend to be casing me, when are really making sure you get in safely," Tanya whispered to us as she had us climb up the fire escape. It was slow going with my not-quite-healed lung, even if we only had to go up one flight before climbing through a hallway window and going to an elevator to reach the top floor.

Tanya's apartment was huge. There was a back door that opened onto a stairwell to the roof, where she had actually started a garden growing. A side door connected into the apartment next door, where Kate was ostensibly staying. Both apartments had two bedrooms and bathrooms along with full kitchens. "I throw big parties to justify huge space, invite all neighbors. Aro liked it very much," she said with a laugh as she showed us around. "It had belonged to two of his people who got old, so he gave them to me. At least he thought me pretty." She said the last while sticking her tongue out at me.

"You know you're beautiful, Tanya, I just prefer brunettes," I teased her while pulling her into a hug, giving her a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for this."

"Like I say, we have much fun later." Her laugh almost scared me, she was really enjoying this. "Bella!" she called into the other room where she had set up my fiancée, "must come now to help me design dress!" Bella gave me a pleading look, but I just pulled her in for a quick kiss before relinquishing her.

A couple hours later, while deep in discussion with Kate and while chuckling over hearing Bella repeatedly tell Tanya she didn't want lace on her dress, the phone I had been given buzzed in my pocket. Only two people had that number, the DA and Tabitha.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone, wondering who was calling. The caller ID didn't work because both of the numbers they were calling me from were encrypted.

"Hide, you have three minutes before the Volturi are visiting. We raid in ten," Tabitha's voice instructed me. A dial tone followed before I could ask any questions.

"We have two minutes!" I hissed, lowering it in case Tabitha's assessment was off. Getting up as quickly as possible and rushing into the room where Bella was arguing with Tanya. "We need to hide!"

"Follow me," Tanya said, jumping up as well and grabbing Bella's hand, pulling her into the attached apartment with me following. We raced to the back bedroom, where Tanya hit a wall with her hip, opening up a panel. "I find this after moving in. Felix not know of it. I question Aro, and he not know either. Is panic room." With that she pushed us in, flipped a switch to turn on the lights and left just as banging could be heard on the door from her apartment.

I quickly pulled the door shut and looked around. There was a couch, small fridge, hot plate and a bed. Up on a wall was a television. Turning it on I found I could see every room of the house. Microphones picked up sounds and transmitted them as well. Tanya had gone into the nearest bedroom and was placing sheets on the bed, calling to Kate to answer the door.

Kate jumped up from in front of the computer where the dress was no longer seen on the screen and walked to the door. A small hand slipped into mine as Bella and I watched her open the front door, a gasp escaping both of us when we saw who it was. There, being cordially greeted by Tanya's sister, was Jane, Aro's daughter. "She was there when my father was shot," Bella whispered. With fear in our hearts we watched our friend go and kiss both of her cheeks.

* * *

I'm now going to be very mean, and leave you hanging, sorry. I have to lead a pack of teenagers to a three day youth leadership conference starting tomorrow, so there will be no updates until Monday.


	69. Chapter 69 Satin

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Satin  
**Dialogue Flex**: "And the winner is…"

* * *

Jane was followed by her twin brother, Alec, the sight of him making Bella gasp again. There was a computer system next to the television, listing the cameras. The ones showing were highlighted, and since I wanted to see if there was anyone else in the hall, I tapped on the one designated as 'outside hallway.' Shock coursed through me when I took in the crowd of people waiting to be admitted into the apartment. There were more there than I imagined.

"Do you recognize any of them?" I whispered to Bella, not knowing if our voices could carry past the panic room. She nodded her head and began to point some out, but not all. "How extensive is this organization?"

"I have no idea, but surely there can't be many more. Some of them look confused as to why they're here. I wonder if they are shields or something. You know, innocents who have no idea what's really going on, just here because their bosses told them to be?" Her idea made sense, so I lifted my cell to text a warning to Tabitha, only to discover there was no service. It seemed this room had been built before cell signals were important. I walked over to the land line and picked it up, but it was dead.

"There seem to be quite a few undercover police around your apartment, Tanya," Jane said smoothly, taking off her coat. "Why is that?"

Tanya shrugged. "They know I turn sides so now they watch? Your father tell me to try to see them in prison, so now I am followed and my sister is put at risk." Tanya's voice showed some annoyance. "Now you are here and bring entourage, even seeing them all there. Why you do this? I am promised to be safe, but you put us at risk."

Jane smirked and walked over to Tanya's couch, making herself at home. Bella was trembling beside me. "We were told you have them here," Jane said, signally something to her brother. Alec pulled back his jacket, and from another camera we caught sight of a gun. "Why don't you stop playing your little game and hand them over?"

Tanya rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Search apartments, I care not. Kate and I stand here until you done," she said, pulling her obviously scared sister over next to her.

"Gladly," Jane said. With a snap of her fingers men separated, going in various directions. My fingers flew over the list of cameras, following the route of the ones that would lead them to where we were hidden, but leaving one trained on Jane and Alec. Bella's trembling increased, and I put my arms around her, when two men entered the bedroom we were hidden behind. For a tense couple minutes we watched as they looked in the closet, bathroom and under the bed. A search was even made of the fire escape behind the window, but they eventually left. Ten minutes after that, all the men reported that we couldn't be found.

Jane didn't look pleased. Her fingers were trailing over one of Tanya's satin pillows as she listened to man after man tell her we weren't there. When the last one spoke she turned to Tanya with a smile.

"So why did you ask my father if either apartment had a panic room?" she asked. Bella's legs gave out at that, and it took all the strength I had to help her to the couch. Sitting down next to her I watched as fear began to eat me from the inside.

Tanya was quicker. "Because I now in trouble with law, and would be good to have, no? But I not find one. This surprise me, so I ask."

"Mmhmm," Jane murmured, then looked meaningfully at her men. They were off again, this time banging on walls. Kate's eyes shot to Tanya, who asked her if she needed to go to the bathroom. Jane chuckled at that, but simply sat waiting.

Whoever designed the room we were in apparently had considered this, because when we heard banging outside of our door, they kept going by. Bella and I both breathed a sigh of relief when they left a second time. The search continued for a few minutes after that with more banging on walls, but turned up nothing.

"Computer," Bella whispered, pointing at the television screen.

"What?" I asked, looking, but then saw what she meant. One of the men was going through files, and had found the wedding dress Tanya had been designing.

"Jane?" he called, "You might want to see this!"

With a smirk she rose from her seat, commanding Tanya and Kate to follow them. I rose and walked over to select a couple of outdoor cameras, wondering why the raid hadn't happened yet, but made sure to also follow their progress through the apartment. When Jane finally reached the computer in Tanya's office she smiled at the designs. "Changing careers?" she asked.

Tanya walked around to see what she meant and gave another, incredibly nonchalant, shrug. "I not be young and beautiful forever. I like wedding dresses, it is happy time, so I try my hand at designing."

"I see," Jane answered coldly, obviously perturbed at the lack of progress in finding us.

From the other side of our room I could hear footsteps, lots of footsteps. A glance at Bella indicated that she had heard them too, since she was looking in that way. I pulled up camera after camera, shocked to see the place being surrounded by SWAT police, weapons ready.

Screams erupted from the television, as people still outside the apartment first noticed the police. Quick scans of the other cameras showed the SWAT members converging as people tried to force their way into the apartment. I watched as Jane's head came up, just in time for one of her henchmen to shout 'police!' and dart from the room. She turned her eyes on my friend and yelled for her brother, who pulled the gun we had seen earlier from its holder.

Bella screamed loudly, but it was covered up by Kate's as the gun fired, striking Tanya solidly in the chest and spinning her around. I sank to the ground myself as shock took over and gunfire erupted throughout the apartment. Kate fell over her sister's body, still shrieking, as Jane, Alec, and those with them tried to make for the back window and the fire escape located there. They were cut off as bullets came in through the windows, blasting through them. By this time Kate was screaming for more than her sister.

A great shuddering sob tore through me as I watched the still form of my dear friend. Bella came over and sat on the floor next to me. "She wanted us safe," she whispered, and I could hear the tears in her voice as she sobbed next to me.

Finally the police were moving through the apartment. We watched as they methodically arrested everyone, including Kate, and checked for life on those who had been shot. It was with great pleasure I watched them kick Alec's gun away and leave him for dead. They finally reached the back bedroom we were hiding behind, but left when they didn't see anyone. Then Tabitha walked into the apartment.

Standing up violently I made for the door, intent on telling her what I thought of her and her protection of my friend. "Edward, no!" Bella shouted, grabbing at me. "They're not all restrained yet. Please wait, please! I can't have you be shot again. I might lose you this time!" It was only the pain in her voice that made me stop in my tracks. There was nothing I could do for Tanya, I reasoned, but I could keep Bella safe.

With a sigh, I took her hand and started to lead her to the couch, but she pulled us over to the bed. "Lie down with me," she pleaded, and I could see she was as devastated as I. Gathering her into my arms on the dust covered duvet, it came home to me what else I could have lost. The pain of losing Tanya didn't lessen, but was only shunted aside as I focused on the woman in my arms.

I began to kiss her as we both held on to our grief, neither of us wanting to witness the carnage on the cameras any longer. The salt of our tears mixed, adding flavor as my lips devoured hers. My hands held her close for a few minutes, only to begin to travel over her body, wanting to touch her, desperate to assure myself that she was still all right. As I grabbed her thigh, pulling it over my hip, I heard her groan. "Are you all right?" I asked in a panic, afraid I had injured her, knowing she wasn't completely healed yet.

"Yes," she panted, using her foot on the back of my thigh to pull me closer. "Don't stop, please." The heat of her body, pressing into mine, sent me over the edge.

With a moan I rolled her slightly, still mindful of her injury, but wanting more access to her body. My hands travelled up her sides, feeling her ribs and the sides of her breasts, where they moved to her back, lifting her off the bed slightly. My leg was between hers, pressing up against the seam of her jeans as my lips continued to travel over her face and down her throat, finding solace from my pain in the sweetness of her skin.

Just as I was nudging her shirt lower, wanting to kiss below her collarbone, a banging was heard on the panic room door. "Edward? Bella? Are you all right?" Tabitha's voice came through. "Please open up, it's locked from the inside." With a groan I pulled myself from my love's arms.

Bella climbed off the bed behind me, holding my hand as I swung open the door, then gasped as we took in the smiling face of Tanya. "What?" I asked, looking from her back to where Tabitha stood grinning.

"For the most convincing performance in the line of fire, we nominate Kate and Tanya Denali. And the winner is, Tanya!" Tabitha crowed, laughing at our expressions of shock and amazement.

"Tanya!" Bella sobbed, coming out of her shock before I did, and running into Tanya's arms. "I saw you shot! What happened? How? Why?" she stuttered.

"Bullet-proof vest, size small," Tanya said with a laugh. "Although, I not think fully bullet proof. That hurt," she said, throwing a glare at Tabitha who then laughed at her.

"You'll have a bruise, and should be checked in case it broke a rib," Tabitha told her, "but you're still alive. Therefore, it is bullet-proof."

Tanya rolled her eyes and glared at Bella and me. "Is good thing I love you. At least power of bullet make it easy to spin and fall. My poor sister is in handcuffs, treated like criminal." She gave a laugh. "Wait until they find out she CIA!"

* * *

Okay, getting close to the end! I needed to round everyone up...


	70. Chapter 70 Abut

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Abut

* * *

It was dark when Tabitha snuck Tanya, Bella and I out of the apartment. We were driven out of the city, into what looked to be a small suburb in Connecticut. The homes were modest, ours had three bedrooms and two baths, with pretty yards. Apparently we would be in witness protection until after the trial, and then were free. Bella and I were pretending to be engaged, something that suited me just fine, with Tanya as my cousin.

"Of course I am cousin," she had laughed. "Why else would man not want me when live in same place?" she asked me with a wink. I had just hugged her, knowing she accepted Bella in my life and hoping she would find someone of her own. She had it the hardest of any of us, she couldn't see her sister, where Bella and I were able to be together. "Why you think that my problem?" she asked one day when I was talking to her about it. "No, problem is seeing you two conoodling on couch. I not sure what is worse, seeing you make moon-eyes or if you get married and hear you behind walls." Bella and I decided to wait until after the trial to get married. Tanya and Tabitha had other plans.

The preliminary trials for all arrested were going on, with information fed to us on a 'need-to-know' basis. Basically, we didn't need to know, because it could taint our testimony. As it was the judge was having fits that we were together and wanted us all separated. Turned out he only agreed for us to be close if Bella and I got married. At least that's what Tabitha told me. I might have argued with her that it was ridiculous, but I was simply tired of waiting.

It turned out that the FBI also owned the house that abutted our own, so Tanya and Bella could move in there until our wedding day. The first thing I did was build a gate between the backyards, something that served us well when the day finally arrived. Cars began to arrive out front of both our houses in the early morning before the sun was up. We could see a few neighbors peeking out of their curtains, and laughed with the guests showing up that they probably thought we were a drug house.

"They've thought that for years," Tabitha said with a laugh. "Especially since people move in and out so often."

The happiest moment of the morning came when my parents showed up. A lump formed in my throat as I wrapped my arms around both of my parents. "Are you two all right?" I asked, concerned what had happened to them.

"We're fine," my mother whispered. "Your father still has his practice. He visited Aro in jail, who promised that his regard for him kept him safe. Not that the feds trust it, they have us tailed all the time."

Alice had brought in food and decorations for both houses, and she and Tanya went to work making the place look magical. They also insisted that I wasn't allowed at Tanya's place until the ceremony, in order to stay away from Bella. It was the longest day of my life.

Finally the sun was setting and I waited at the gate I had built for my bride to appear. A few of the neighbors had come by, and been immediately invited in as additional guests. They were thrilled to find no drugs, and delighted with the idea of a wedding. Talking amongst themselves, I barely noticed them as I waited with Emmett by my side. Finally, the back door to Tanya's house opened.

Shrouded in the light of Tanya's kitchen, with the twinkle lights that led from there to the gate overhead, Bella stepped out. It seemed as if the very air glowed around her. I had to smirk a little, as there was a touch of lace in spots on her skirt, as well as on her veil, but one look from Tanya made me stop. My father took her arm and slowly walked her to me.

"Bella," I sighed with relief when her hand was placed into mine. Tanya was crying, as was my mother, but my bride smiled bright and wide. We turned to face the very man who had insisted we needed to be married in order to be in witness protection together. This way, we knew he would be convinced. The ceremony was blissfully short, although it could have lasted hours. I was too busy staring at my bride, whose tears began to fall when I said, "I do." When she repeated those same words to me, my heart swelled up inside me, consuming me. All I wanted was to kiss her right then, but knew I had to wait for the judge to say we could. If the day had been long, it was nothing compared to the time between when she said 'I do' and he said 'You may kiss the bride.'

Gently I lifted her veil, feeling like I was unwrapping a treasured gift. There was wetness on my own cheeks as I brushed a tear from hers. Then, whispering, "My wife," I bent and sealed my vows to her with a kiss. Clapping erupted around us, but it had been hours since I had seen her last, and I was definitely not ready to stop kissing her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lifted her up, chuckling against her lips as she gave a little squeal in surprise. Thankfully, instead of pulling away and insisting I put her down, she threw her arms around me, returning the kiss with just as much passion.

All too soon laughter broke out around us, signaling that it was time to end the kiss. "She's a material witness in some murder trials, so let her breathe," the judge laughed quietly beside us, clapping me on the shoulder while making sure no one overheard him. "Besides, that cake looks tasty."

That was when the party started. The neighbors called other neighbors, and before long both yards were filled with people having a good time. Some of them surprised us, writing out checks while complaining we didn't warn them so they could buy us a proper present. Tabitha whispered later that they were all probably so thrilled to find out we were normal, and not druggies, that they were celebrating that fact as much as the wedding. Since we were undercover, all the checks were made out to Edward and Bella Platt. It made my mother smile to know we were using her last name as cover. Tabitha insisted she would have the money put into an account for us.

Before long Bella had kicked off her shoes, and while holding up part of her dress, allowed me to lead her in a dance. From there we danced with my parents, then siblings, as neighboring couples joined us on the lawns. Tanya was having a great time, dancing frequently with a man that one of the neighbors informed me was a widower, his wife having died when killed by a drunk driver years previously. He currently had three young children, something I knew would make Tanya smile. As Bella and I watched her, she was smiling quite a bit.

After a few hours of dancing we got around to cutting the cake, much to the judge's pleasure. It was chocolate with white frosting, decorated with fresh flowers in every color. Bella's hand was steady as she held the cake for me to take a bite from, until my teeth closed and she 'slipped', getting frosting on my face. I paid her back by dipping my finger into the frosting and wiping it across her lips, which naturally had to be cleaned off with my own.

It was close to midnight when, sitting at Tanya's kitchen table, all the neighbors gone, chatting with our close loved ones, and Bella's head on my shoulder, that Tanya rolled her eyes at me. "Why you still here? Is not your wedding night? Girl dead on her feet, how you have fun when she so tired?"

Bella blushed profusely, as did I, but we both got up from the table. Kisses were given all around, except to Alice and Tabitha who seemed to be missing, but it wasn't something that concerned me. An entire different matter occupied my brain.

Walking hand in hand across the back yard, the twinkle lights swaying in the breeze and lighting our way, I actually felt incredibly calm. Bella was laying her head on my shoulder again as we approached the gate. "Tired?" I asked her.

"Exhausted," she answered with a yawn, then blushed and peeked up at my through her lashes. "But not, um, too tired."

Looking down at her the fatigue drifted away. "I was a moment ago, but not so much anymore," I confessed, eyeing the gate that was drawing nearer. We reached it just as the back door of my, our, house opened, revealing Alice and Tabitha. Stopping Bella I held her on this side of the yard I asked, "What have you two been up to?" getting a smirk in response.

"You'll see," Alice said in a sing-song voice, followed by a chuckle from Tabitha.

"It's a gift from my grandmother, Miss Jessie," Tabitha said. "We've stocked your fridge with fried chicken and waffles." Suddenly I was hungry, but one look at Bella changed the direction of the hunger as quickly as it had arisen.

After they passed us by I bent down and picked up my bride into my arms. She gave another squeal as she had done when I kissed her after our vows, but that only served to drive me forward, across the yard and into our home. What we found inside made us both gasp.

A trail of flickering candles, fake so the house wouldn't burn down, led from the back door and up the stairs. Thousands of white rose petals were strewn across the way. "She better come back and help me sweep that up!" Bella said, but her tone belied her words. She was as taken aback as I was. Taking her hand in mine, I led her along the path they had laid out for us, up the stairs and into the master bedroom. There, on the bed, was a white satin nightgown for her, and silk pajamas for me. More rose petals were strewn around, and real candles flickered on hot plates, lending a soft scent of jasmine, roses and freesia to the air.

"Would you like to change?" I asked Bella, and was surprised when she shook her head negatively.

With a warm blush she replied, "To be honest, putting on clothes wasn't what I had in mind. We can tell Alice how much we loved them, though."

Turning her body to mine, I lifted her chin in order to kiss her. "We can lie," I whispered. My hands wrapped around her back, lowering the zipper on her dress as my lips brushed lightly against hers. Her hands were undoing my shirt, having pushed my tux jacket from my shoulders. Fingers met skin, tracing lines and softness as they explored on both sides. With each layer that came off, it felt as I opened my soul to her more and more, just as she did with me. Finally standing there, lips still connected and clothes pooled at our feet, I pulled away. "I love you. I don't know how to do this. Please tell me if I hurt you."

With a smile she stepped away, pulling on my hand and leading me to the bed. "Remember I went to the doctor? I told him I was getting married, and she, um, broke my hymen for me so it wouldn't hurt as much. I hope you don't mind." She actually sounded like she was worried.

"Mind that I won't be hurting you? No, I don't mind at all," I said, catching up to her quickly and wrapping my hands around her waist. A third squeal was heard as I lifted her from her feet, only to place her in the center of the bed, rose petals fluttering around us and pajamas falling to the floor.

Where before our touches had been tentative, searching and learning the newness of each other, now they were determined, as if we had to memorize each other in one night. Kisses gained in intensity, moving from lips to other body parts that only fingers had previously explored. Knowing we were both virgins, my father had gotten me a book that was quite detailed in how to make this pleasurable, in a very clinical way of course, and I had studied it carefully. Putting everything it said into practice brought me as much enjoyment as it did Bella, I found to my growing excitement.

Eventually I could hold back no longer. Bella was pulling on me, my shoulders, arms and hair, calling, "Edward, please, I need…more." Her entire body was shuddering from the orgasm I had been able to coax from it, calling me to it of its own accord. She gave a small gasp when I entered her, but her arms held me close and her legs wrapped around my own, telling me she was all right. My hips began to move instinctively, relishing the feeling of her convulsing around me still. It was if my entire being centered on the girl beneath me, and I learned what it meant when the scripture said, 'and two flesh shall become one.'

It was over much too quickly, but as I lay inside her, and on top of her, my lips moving with hers still, I knew it wasn't the end. This was our beginning. We had many trials ahead of us, more than most couples as we faced those we accused, but we would be doing this together.

"Bella?" I asked, slowing my kisses as we both caught our breath.

"Hmm?" she replied, hands trailing over my shoulders and eyes drooping. Her exhaustion was definitely catching up with her.

"I love you," I told her.

"As I love you," she responded. Pulling out of her body I rolled onto my back, bringing her along. With a final kiss to her temple, we both relaxed, her head on my shoulder and arm around my waist as I held her close. I fell asleep with my world in my arms.

* * *

One more chapter, which you'll probably get later today. I'm afraid the doctors want to cut me open tomorrow. Apparently I have cysts on my ovaries that are so large that if they ruptured it would make me very ill. I was told if they find anything even slightly unusual they're ripping everything out. So, I could be down for a couple days or a couple weeks. As a result, I have no idea when I'll be updating again. You could get something on Monday, or it might be a few weeks. I promise to be working on the Ranchward cruise while I convalesce!

Epilogue this afternoon! xoxo!


	71. Chapter 71 Clear

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Homeless Bella  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Clear

* * *

"Edward and Bella?" Tabitha called out while knocking on, and opening, our front door.

"In the kitchen!" Bella called back. One of us would have gone to greet her, but our hands were full. Little Tabitha Renee was pitching a full blown toddler fit, complete with hind end up in the air and wailing as if her world had come to an end because Bella had told her to stop feeding the dog her breakfast. I was struggling with the baby, Charles Anthony, who seemed convinced that having his diaper changed was akin to torture.

Tabitha, naturally, found the entire scene highly amusing. "That's what you get for having two children in two years," she teased. "I can't believe Bella is actually almost ready to give birth again." Upon hearing her voice Renee decided life wasn't so horrible after all and jumped up laughing and ran to our caretaker.

"Well, maybe that boy should stop breathing on her," an elderly voice said from behind Tabitha, drawing my immediate attention.

"Miss Jessie!" I exclaimed, hurriedly securing the new diaper on my son, who was much more content now that his bottom was covered. A quick disposal of the dirty diaper and wash of my hands later and I was hugging the elderly woman. Bella had gotten to her first.

"I'm sorry the place is such a mess," Bella said. Her hair was sticky with pancakes and syrup thanks to Renee throwing them at her in her tantrum. Looking around I could see the dog trying to lick the highchair, remains of breakfast and the dishes scattered around, and cringed.

"It's no problem," Miss Jessie said with a smile. "I remember having little ones and know how worn out you can get. Now you two go on, hand me those precious ones, and get in the shower. You've got somewhere important to be!"

With her bottom lip between her teeth, Bella watched the two women take over the care and feeding of our children. We both trusted them implicitly, but I understood her concern. We both knew how easily life could be taken away, and Bella especially had suffered through the devastating loss of loved ones in the most egregious manner. Today, though, the head of those responsible would learn his fate.

The last four years had been filled with my greatest joys and my deepest pain. I'd watched as Bella was forced to the witness stand over and over again in the trials of the various members of the Volturi. Each time she had to recount watching her parents die I could see her light dim, but then she would look at me, give a small smile, and push through it. She had to testify how she knew those who hadn't pulled the triggers were involved. Then she had to defend herself in a pre-trial hearing for killing Demetri. Turns out the Volturi had infiltrated the DA's office as well, something DA Miller was very upset over. During all of this judges had been exposed, as had police officers, court officers, and even one federal judge. The tentacles of the Volturi organization were deep.

We'd also seen the birth of our children, and just last week Tanya had married the widower we had met at our wedding. I'm pretty sure his children loved her as much as him, and had all rejoiced when she said yes to his proposal. Then again, they had all participated in asking her. They were planning to have another child right away.

Pulling Bella into the shower with me I could see her tension. This should be the last time she had to stare down those who had tried, repeatedly, to kill her. Aro was the last to be sentenced, and despite how many times she had done this before, she was still scared.

I scrubbed her back for her after washing my hair, allowing the loofah to travel to the front of her body. My arms could barely reach around her middle, where our second son squirmed inside of her. It was easy to see him rolling around under her stretched-out skin, and I let out a little laugh when he kicked her and she swatted his little foot under her belly. I had been told that the third child really changes a woman's body, making it so that it didn't rebound to that smooth girlish figure, but I didn't care. She was beautiful to me. We had some time, so I pressed myself against her backside and smiled when she pressed back. I love pregnancy hormones.

An hour later we were both satisfied and dressed, ready to face our tormentors for the last time. Bella's chin was held high as we entered the courtroom, police making way for us amidst the sea of reporters. One intrepid soul dared broke through and all but pounced on my wife, who fitted him with a glare and yelled, "Hey, very pregnant lady walking here! My balance is bad enough without you tripping me up. Clear the way!" They had all learned to respect her over the years and pulled back the interloper, shoving him far behind so he couldn't get to her again.

We took our seats on the hard bench. Miss Jessie had shoved a pillow into my hands as we left for Bella to sit on, telling me she had enough pressure on her back without a hard bench adding to it. A small shudder ran through her when Aro was led in, and she reached over and grasped my hand tightly. Thankfully this would be short.

The jury filed in soon after, taking their seats, followed by the judge. Bella tried to stand, but I was still in the middle of pulling her to the feet when he took pity on her and told everyone to be seated even before he sat down. It was the same judge who had married us, and he'd grown to love and admire my wife as well, even while being very strict and fair. He knew the accused deserved a fair trial, and in his words, "They were going to get it. The evidence will have to hang them, because I believe in the system. But trust me, if they're guilty, it will be found out." One person had been acquitted, but we had nothing to fear from him since he had quickly moved across the country. Tabitha kept close tabs on what he was doing.

"Has the jury reached a decision?" the judge asked.

"Yes, your honor," the lead juror replied, handing over a slip of paper.

"The defendant will rise," the judge said, and we watched Aro get to his feet, his eyes glaring at Bella. "The defendant will look at me," the judge said again, in a very firm voice. When he had Aro's full attention he continued. "You have been previously convicted of fifty counts of conspiracy to commit murder, fifteen counts of first degree murder, and seven counts of second degree murder. You are hereby sentenced to death. May God have mercy on your soul, but for us it is good riddance. Court adjourned." With that he rose and walked quickly from the courtroom that had exploded in peals of applause. Bella shuddered beside me.

"Honey?" I asked, putting my arms around hers which were wrapped around her stomach. "Are you all right?"

A quick shake of her head brought me to full attention. "I think my water broke," she yelled, her voice barely reaching my ears over the clamor of the courtroom.

"Bailiff!" I yelled, waving to get the man's attention. He came over quickly, noting Bella's distress. "She's in labor!" A whole new commotion erupted as some of the reporters who had microphones shoved in our direction overheard this. The bailiff quickly called security, who called an ambulance, and in fifteen minutes we were pushing our way through another sea of reporters, this time with sirens blaring.

Bella had done this twice before, and so was calmly going through her Lamaze breathing as each contraction hit. I was not so calmly panicking, my normal mode of operation. "When did your contractions start?" the paramedic asked her.

I was shocked by her answer. "Yesterday morning, but they were like a couple hours apart, so I knew I had a long time to go. I guess the stress of this morning sped things up."

Rolling my eyes at her I asked, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I wanted to be here this morning, and know how long these things usually take me." It was true, each of our previous children had a long build-up. A few days of contractions until her water broke, but then came only a couple hours after that. This one seemed to be on the same track, except it had only been one day of contractions. Judging from how often her contractions were coming now, the delivery was going to be faster as well.

"I can feel the head!" she cried, panting through another contraction. Her words sent the paramedics into a flurry of activity, pushing me not-so-gently out of the way as they prepped her for delivery in the truck. An emergency room doctor was on the phone, his voice shouting instructions.

With a tight grip on my hand, and no anesthesia, she gave another push. Crying out from the pain she bore down. I peeked up in time to see a squirming, bloody baby be lifted from behind a sheet. "It's a girl!" the paramedic called. So much for ultra-sounds. We didn't have a girl's name picked out. Her little feet were tapped, resulting in a loud wail bursting through the cabin, which in turn prompted tears down my face.

Looking at Bella, and seeing tears there as well, I bent down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Love you," I whispered. "What shall we name her?"

"I don't know," she panted, having another contraction to push out the afterbirth. That was all right, it could wait. By this time we were pulling into the hospital, more reporters materializing around us. A police line formed up, clearing the way for Bella to be wheeled in, with me holding her hand as we went. One young woman called out if she'd delivered, and Bella replied, "Yes, it's a girl!" They cheered.

A few hours later, Bella and the baby sleeping, I sat in a rather uncomfortable chair gazing on them both, unable to believe my good fortune. My mother came into the room and placed a kiss on my head. "You're free now, you know," she whispered. "Where will you and Bella go?"

"Probably nowhere," I whispered back. "Tanya and Geoff will be back from their honeymoon and living down the street with his children. I'm settled into my practice, and we really like our neighbors. Tabitha said we could stay."

"You don't want to move to a fancier neighborhood with a big house?" she asked, obviously remembering my upper-east side apartment. I just shook my head. "That's good," she replied, smiling at me. Settling on the arm of the chair beside me she put an arm around my shoulders and looked at my youngest child. "She's beautiful, Edward."

My eyes traveled from my child to my wife. "Yes, mother, she is."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! Okay, while waiting for me to get back into the groove and write, run over and read Twilightobsessed09's stories! She's new, so play nice. Give her lots of lovely reviews and tell your friends. Her profile is: www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/u/1848340. Or, you could just search for her name.

xoxo!


	72. Chapter 72 Seethe

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Seethe

* * *

We dutifully got our life preservers and waited for the drill that would send us to our muster station. After twenty minutes, though, Edward turned to me with that look in his eyes. "You know, darling, we could have had a little bit of fun while waiting."

"They could call us at any time," I replied, aching inside. His antics on the plane over here, combined with being stopped by our butler when we arrived at our room, had me craving a little time under the covers.

"I'm willing to risk it," he replied, pushing our life preservers off the bed and pulling me towards him. I went willingly, my hands wrapping around his back as his crept up my blouse, unsnapping my bra in back. "We may have to be fast."

"We can be slow later tonight," I huffed just before attaching my lips to his. We kissed while he made quick work of the buttons on my blouse, pulling it open and kneading at my breasts. My hand went down to his pants, resuming the stroking of him that I'd done in the plane, smiling when he groaned in response.

His lips broke from mine, only to go straight to my nipple, sucking me in and drawing forth a gasp of my own. That was followed by another gasp, but it didn't come from either Edward or me.

"I'm so sorry," a strange woman said, "but I am your maid and must introduce myself. Also, muster is in just a few minutes so I must ask you to wait."

"Bella, please tell me I'm hearing things," Edward whispered, his head raised from my chest. Looking over his shoulder I could see a very embarrassed young woman standing just beyond the wall. She was wringing her hands, at least from what I could see. Tugging on my shirt to close it I shook my head. "Fine," he said, sitting up and helping me with my shirt.

Once I was covered he rose from the bed and went around to greet the woman. As soon as she saw him her face went from pink and nervous to bright red and blank. Her mouth fell open as well as her shock at seeing my gorgeous husband truly registered. I giggled, she hadn't even bothered to look down and was quite taken with him.

Meanwhile, Edward began to seethe. "Is there a reason you had to meet us _now_?" he asked, his voice cold and hard.

"It's the policy, sir," she said after giving her head a hard shake. "We're required to make sure all guests are ready for muster." She glanced over to me, and I was glad I'd managed to right my blouse, even if my bra was still not on quite right. Giving me a little smile and wave she looked back to Edward. "My name is Makaiya. I suppose Bas, your butler, forgot to tell you I'd be coming by?"

Edward shook his head, still upset, but then sighed. It wasn't this woman's fault and Edward was always good at being nice to people despite his own feelings. "I'm sorry, Makaiya, but no, he failed to mention it. I'm sorry you had to be embarrassed." He gave her one of his smiles. Mrs. Cope called it his 'I'm hoping you'll be so focused on dropping your panties that you'll give me whatever I want' smile.

Since he seemed to have things under control I slipped into the bathroom to set my bra aright and fix my obviously incorrectly buttoned blouse. It was a good thing I did, because no sooner was I running my fingers through my bed-head hair and contemplating going out to look for a brush, than the drill bell rang.

"Bella?" Edward called, appearing in the doorway with both preservers in his hands. "We're supposed to go to the auditorium."

We slowly made our way to where we were supposed to go. It was impossible to move quickly since everyone else on the boat was also heading to where they were supposed to be. Edward commented that it was a good thing it wasn't a fire or we'd all be dead, earning a few annoyed looks from fellow passengers, at least until they saw his face. Then the women had a tendency to swoon, the men glared at their wives.

The ship employees tried to make it fun, making it a race to see who could get their preserver on the fastest. I won for the slowest when my arms became entangled in the straps. Edward teased me a little about maybe using these later to tie me up. When a woman standing nearby asked why I was blushing I pointed to my husband. Thankfully I didn't have to explain what he'd said, because she took one look at him and whispered, "Wow, please tell me he's poor, or stupid or something. There has to be a flaw somewhere."

I laughed. "Sorry, rich, vet, rancher, and incredibly sweet. I hit the jackpot."

She looked over to her own husband. His hair was rather thin on top and his stomach was straining the buttons on his shirt, but he had a loving smile on his face, laugh lines around his eyes and couldn't keep his eyes off of his wife. "So did I dear, it's that last one that's most important." I had to agree with her.

The crew was handing out schedules of activities for the night before dismissing us, describing some of them. Looking down the list I noticed they had dancing in the adult lounge. It was obvious that Edward had noticed it as well. There was only one way to be able to avoid that.

With a knowing smirk on his face he looked down at me. "Want to go dancing?"

I grinned at him. "Yes, most definitely."

"You do?" he asked, surprised. A smile grew on his face. "You never want to go dancing."

"Oh, but I want to dance tonight. All night long, if you're up to it." His eyes opened wide, then narrowed. Slowly comprehension dawned on his face.

Pulling me close to him he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "And where is it you want to dance, wife?"

Blushing furiously, knowing we were surrounded by people, I answered him. "That bed was awfully nice." His eyes burned as his smile changed into something predatory. My entire body began to tingle in the heat of his gaze.

Without saying a word he turned and started to pull me from the auditorium. It seemed to take forever to work our way through all the other people on the ship who had been released from muster, laughing and walking leisurely through the corridors, clogging up the elevators and making us stop on every floor.

Finally we managed to reach our suite. A bottle of champagne was chilling in an ice bucket and a plate of cookies were on the table, but all I cared about was that the sheets on the bed had been turned down.

When the door finally closed behind me Edward took me into his arms. "I've waited all day for this," he growled.

* * *

I'm back! Not sure if I'll update every day, but I'm finally up to where I can hold a laptop on my lap long enough to type. Thanks to all of you for your loving support during my surgery. Everything went well, and there was no cancer.

I tried to go back to find all the chapters that had Ranchward, but the list just became too long. Not sure how I'll finish this one, since it's become like a soap opera, or real life, whatever. Anyway, I know you all want some cruise lovin' but I had it in my head all along that these two would be frustrated when they got to the boat. I know I was...LOL! Don't worry, there'll be smexin tomorrow! xoxo!


	73. Chapter 73 Nuance

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Nuance

* * *

"Do you need to do anything before I ravish you?" Edward asked, his lips on my neck and his fingers busily unbuttoning my blouse. "Bathroom? Drink? Because once I start you aren't going anywhere."

"I'm good," I groaned, his hands now on my breasts, his lips traveling down to meet them. "The only thing I need to do is you." With a growl he picked me up and carried me to the bed, almost throwing me on it in his hurry to get there, laughing when I let out a little shriek.

In no time he had my clothes peeled off. Looking at his handiwork he murmured, "Oh, yes, you are very good." I just laughed and sat up, reaching for his shirt. It was only a minute later that his state of dress matched my own.

His lips were on mine as he pulled me tightly against his body, rolling us so that I was underneath him. His legs fell naturally between mine, our years of marriage making it almost instinctual as to how we needed to move to align ourselves perfectly. Then he paused.

"Bella, I don't think I can take this slow," he said, muscles straining to hold himself in check.

"So don't," I replied, pushing up with my hips and grabbing at his backside to pull him into me. Sliding into me, we both groaned. The hours of torture on the plane followed by being interrupted time and time again when we got to the ship only served to drive us both into a frenzy of need and desire for each other.

I tried to match him, move with him, but he was frantic. "Don't move," he groaned, going even faster, his hands fisting in my hair as he buried his face into my neck once again. Wrapping my hands around his chest I simply let him take control, relishing in the pleasure he sent surging through my body. There was no doubt that I wouldn't finish, but it wasn't about that. This was a raw, driving need for each other, of losing ourselves in our joining.

Within minutes I could feel him swell within me, and with a final groan he stilled, filling me in a completely different way. I pulled him down so his weight was on me, relishing the feel of being pushed into the mattress. It was one of my favorite times, the feeling of having been loved and being surrounded by him. Just as I was really relaxing, stroking his back he turned and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I whispered back. He shifted, settling beside me and placing a hand on my heart.

"It was too fast, you didn't finish." His hand began to trail down my stomach even as a yawn escaped him. It was dark out, and due to the time change, about two in the morning our time.

I stopped his hand. "I'm fine, honey." He had pulled out of me and I could feel a small trickle run down. "Why don't you grab me a pillow? I heard if you elevate your hips it might help with conception."

He quickly reached for one and helped me get situated. A smirk grew on his face at the sight of my hips lifted up. "I think that could be fun," he said, his voiced laced with nuance of what he was thinking of doing.

"Maybe tomorrow," I said, giving a small laugh and reaching for him. Lying down next to me he snuggled in close, one hand down low on my stomach. We lay there quietly for a while, both tired but neither one falling to sleep. My mind was racing. The point of this cruise was in hopes of getting pregnant, but why sex on a ship in Hawaii would be more effective than our own bed at home, I had no idea. What if it didn't work? We had timed this around my cycle; I should be ovulating sometime this week. I had my thermometer, ready to check my temperature in order to pinpoint exactly when it would be, but we'd been doing that for months as well.

"Bella, your mind spinning is keeping me awake," Edward said beside me. Turning I could see the concern in his eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"What if this doesn't work?" I asked, feeling the pressure of tears behind my eyes. "What if I don't get pregnant?" A tear leaked out, despite my efforts to hold them in.

"Bella," he moaned, pulling me onto my side so he could wrap his arms around me. "We'll go on. I know you want a baby, so do I. The thought of holding a little you in my arms just makes me smile." I hiccupped a sob, wanting to give him that. "But, it won't compare to holding you in my arms. If this doesn't work, we'll go see a doctor, see if there's something wrong with one of us. If that doesn't work, we'll adopt." He pulled me over his body, pressing my head onto his shoulder. "If you stress out, then it may never happen. You have to relax, darling."

I sniffed in my tears, not wanting to rub snot on his shoulder. "I know," I whispered, relaxing on him.

"But you're still stressing," he said. It was a statement, not a question, but I nodded anyway.

The next instant he had me on my back, settling beside me so he could have easy access to my body. "It seems I need to help you relax, my love," he said, his lips moving against my skin as he moved lower on my body.

Stopping at my breasts he nuzzled them, lathing the nipple with his tongue as his hand travelled straight to my sex. "Don't think about getting pregnant," he said, "let's just enjoy the cruise." His fingers began rubbing me, sending shockwaves of pleasure through my core. My body was still somewhat excited from our lovemaking earlier, so it took very little time before I was shuddering my release.

His chuckle took me by surprise. "Um, honey, I was hoping it would take you longer, I'm not quite ready. It's too soon for me." Reaching down I could feel that he was stiff, but definitely not hard. I started to rub him, bringing forth a groan and causing him to harden a bit. "That seems to be working," he said, making me chuckle as well.

Continuing to suckle on my breast and his fingers rubbing lightly on me kept me panting as I brought him fully erect again. He was about to roll on top of me again, but then spied the pillow that had been under my hips earlier. With a grin he moved quickly, lifting my hips up again to put it in place, and then kneeling between my legs. "This is better than I imagined," he said, guiding himself into me.

As fast as he had moved before he now moved slowly, his hands holding my hips steady on the pillow. Looking down I could see him move in and out of me. As my eyes traveled up his body I could see he was watching that as well. I reached for him, but all I could touch were his hips.

My fingers traced the line of his happy trail, but he knocked it away. "You're blocking my view," he growled out, then smiled. "And, oh, what a view."

He continued to move slowly, gently moving in and out of me. The delicious torture had my head falling back, unable to focus on him at any spot other than where he was connected. Soon his hands joined in, touching me again, the making me cry out from the overwhelming sensations. I thrust up, wanting him to speed up, but that only caused his fingers to stop so he could grab my hips again. "Don't move," he ground out, then chuckled at my whimper. "It'll be worth it," he said roughly, although his pace did pick up just a bit.

The pressure continued to build inside, growing higher than I'd ever felt before. It was as if his fingers were holding me down, like the string of a kite that held it to earth while also making it fly. Eventually I was there. As the wave crashed over my body I sucked in air, trying desperately to breathe.

I could hear Edward groaning above my pants, his slow pace abandoned as he thrust sporadically, finishing soon after. Falling to my side, panting heavily, he pulled me into his arms. "Are you relaxed now?"

"Mmhmm," I murmured, hardly able to concentrate on anything else.

"Good," he whispered. Helping me move into a more comfortable position he stretched out beside me. Clasping his fingers around mine, he whispered, "Love you," then fell to sleep. The last thing I was aware of was the sound of the boat's whistle blasting two beeps, making my last thought that we were going around the starboard side, the same side Edward was sleeping on next to me.

* * *

I know, a day late and a dollar short, that's me. Anyway, here's the start of the fun!


	74. Chapter 74 Clinical

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Clinical, cynical, comical

* * *

It was still dark when I woke up. A glance at my cell informed me it was only just past four in the morning. Granted, it had only been about eight in the evening when we collapsed into bed, thanks to the time change, but this just seemed wrong. A glance to my side told me I wasn't the only one awake.

Edward's smile glowed in the light of my phone. "I can't sleep anymore; want to go explore the ship?" I was out of the bed in a heartbeat.

We dressed quickly, smiling in the light of the moon now glowing in through our window. The water was passing quickly by the boat, showing our speed, but the ride was still quite smooth.

Once out on the deck we started to walk. The only people we encountered were ship workers, cleaning the decks and chairs for those smart enough to still be asleep. There was one other couple sitting in deck chairs and talking. We chatted for a moment with them, learning they hadn't even been to bed yet, before we continued our rather clinical inspection of the ship.

We found the dining rooms, gym, theater, auditoriums, swimming pools, bars and extra-cost restaurants. Edward led me through it as if he had to discover where everything was before anyone else even woke up. If we came upon a set of stairs, he had us climb them, just to see where they went. It was actually rather fun, going wherever we wanted without fear of disturbing other passengers. Just as the sun was broaching the horizon we finished our tour, ending up on the top deck of the bow.

"Wanna do a Titanic reenactment?" Edward teased, moving to stand behind me.

"Absolutely not," I said emphatically. "You know I hate that movie. I will happily stand here and watch the sun rise with you, though." So that's what we did, Edward standing behind me, his arms around my waist, enjoying the glory of the sun on the water.

We returned to our room with plans to take a shower together, up until we took a peek at the shower. Yes, it had a tub. I think a three year old could stretch out in it, but there was no way two adults would fit. At least not comfortably, but for some reason Edward wanted to try.

Stripping quickly and hopping in he reached over to take my hand, his face shining with excitement and expectation. "You're like a kid in a candy store. You know that, right?" I teased, crossing my hands over my chest, still fully clothed.

"Bella, get undressed," he said, fixing me with a stare. He might have come off as controlling and demanding, if his lips weren't twitching up at the corners.

"You're not intimidating at all," I said, smiling but still taking a step backward.

His eyes narrowed and he reached for the removable shower head, aiming it directly at me. "I have a weapon and know how to use it, woman. Now get your clothes off and get in here."

"Um, Edward? If the whole idea behind a shower is to get wet, don't you think that threatening me with water is a bit lame?" I said, giggling around the words. He didn't say anything else. Instead he moved like lightening to turn on the water, effectively drenching me with freezing cold spray. I let out a scream, trying to run from the room, but he was faster than my clumsy feet. Jumping out he grabbed me around my waist, and still fully clothed, threw me into the shower stall, the shower head still spraying cold water. "Edward! Stop! No!" I screamed, to no avail. He was too busy laughing to say anything, mostly because my now wet socks didn't find any purchase on the shower floor and I was slipping all over the place. It seemed my flailing was something he found highly comical.

I finally got the showerhead facing away from me and turned the water to warm. He stepped in behind me, all but pushing me against the front as he tried to fit into the very small opening they called a door. Moving back he said, "See? No reason to be so cynical, we both fit."

I turned to him, clothes still sticking to my body. "And how do you propose we do anything in this tiny space?" I asked.

"Like this," he replied reaching for me. It wasn't a far reach.

With the water sluicing down over me he began to remove my clothes. It was difficult since they were sticking so well, but he seemed to enjoy the challenge. As each article came off he threw it into the sink. My blouse was on the floor, which elicited an outcry from me that it was rude to make the maids clean up after us, so all the rest dripped into the drain. Removing my socks was the worst. Well, the first one was, since the other foot continued to slip. We were both laughing hard by the time he got it off.

When I was finally undressed he said, "Turn around." I could see he was reaching for the shampoo, so complied. Tenderly he worked the suds through my hair, separating out the tresses as he rinsed the soap out, making sure it was clean. Next came the conditioner, along with a gently scalp massage. This was followed by the body wash, his hands serving in the place of a loofah.

My breaths were coming in quick pants as he washed my breasts, down my stomach and over my sex. I tried not to giggle when he lifted my foot to wash between my toes, and the giggle changed to a groan when he began to massage my foot. When he started to rinse me off I felt relaxed, loved, and incredibly turned on.

I tried to turn around, saying it was my turn to wash him, but he wouldn't let me. "Nope, this is all mine," he whispered, pressing his erection into my backside as his hands ghosted back to those places he knew I loved. His lips attached to my neck, the slight scruff of his beard rubbing on the sensitive skin as his fingers worked over far more sensitive places.

In no time I was gasping, wanting him, needing him. He was intimately familiar with this sound, and bending me over slightly, entered me with a groan. My hands found the wall in front of me to brace myself as he moved, and I could feel when he leaned back so that it became the only place where skin met skin. It seemed only minutes later he was finished, placing kisses on my back as he shuddered his completion.

Standing in his arms as the water continued to run over me I whispered to him. "Edward? I think I really like sex cruises."

He chuckled, his entire chest shaking on my back. "Me, too, love. Me too."

* * *

I haven't updated since last Wednesday? Wow, sorry about that. I'm back to work now so hopefully my schedule will straighten out. I didn't reread this, so please forgive any errors.

xoxo!


	75. Chapter 75 Petty

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Petty

* * *

Our first port was in Maui, but since we would be here for two days, and had schedule snorkeling for tomorrow, we decided to spend this day adjusting to the time change. Or, as Edward put it, doing nothing but having sex. When he said that, I rolled my eyes, put on my bathing suit, and headed for the sun deck.

Walking beside him when he had on nothing but board shorts and a tight t-shirt was amusing. Women twice our age were stumbling and looking twice. Edward would blush from the attention, making me laugh. "It's only good looks, Bella, they have no idea what I'm really like," he complained when one actually wolf-whistled as we went by.

"They're just appreciative of God's creation," I teased, then blushed when an older gentleman gave me the once over. Edward wasn't as amused by this as I was when women looked at him.

Placing his arm around me he pulled me in close. "Well those guys had better keep their eyes off of this creation," he growled, looking me up and down, "because it belongs to me."

"Don't be petty," I said. "They can look. But," I added with a steely glare, "if any dares touch…"

This made him laugh. "Just flash your ring, darling, that'll be enough."

We found a couple deck chairs and laid out our towels. Edward started rubbing sunblock on my back, arms and legs, up to the point where I stopped his hands and hissed at him to not give anyone a show. After all, I was perfectly capable of putting the lotion on my own cleavage. That didn't mean he didn't need help, though, and I had a great deal of fun rubbing it into his stomach, along the top of his board shorts after he took off his shirt.

Setting an alarm on his phone for fifteen minutes we both laid down on our stomachs, enjoying the heat of the tropical sun. After just a couple minutes had passed he reached over and twined his fingers with mine. "That'll leave an interesting tan pattern," I whispered. He just hummed agreement and tightened his grip, smiling.

The alarm went off and we dutifully turned over, letting our fronts be warmed. Edward reached across for me right after resetting the alarm. The last thing we wanted was to start the cruise with a sunburn.

When the beeping sounded again, I muttered that I felt like I was on a rotisserie. Edward snorted a laugh and once more took hold of my fingers. The air was warm and moist, and my eyes soon succumbed to the heat, falling closed.

"Bella!" Edward called, shaking me. "You need to wake up, I forgot to set the alarm again. Oh, honey, no…"

My eyes flew open and I could feel the pain, mostly on the backs of my knees, where the sun had done its damage. "Ow," I groaned as I tried to move, then realized another person was spraying cold water on me.

"Which stateroom are you in?" the kind crewmember asked. After Edward told him he continued, "You have a bathtub in there?" Edward nodded. "Fill it with water as cold as she can stand. I'll contact the ship doctor and send him by to look at her."

"Can you move, honey?" Edward asked, pulling on me. I gave a little nod, still somewhat groggy. Very slowly I walked to our cabin, the burned skin on the backs of my knees sticking from the sweat that had dried on them, hurting each time it pulled. "I'd pick you up and carry you, but I'm afraid that might hurt you more," Edward said concernedly.

I glanced at his back. Sure enough it was slightly pink, but mostly just darkly tan. "How come you didn't burn?" I asked, annoyed. He had fair skin as well, due to his reddish hair, why was I the one that resembled an over-cooked lobster?

"Because I'm in the saddle without a shirt all summer, my skin is used to it," he explained. The vision of that in my head was enough to draw my attention away from my own pain.

Eventually we reached the cabin, Edward rushing into the bathroom to draw me a cold bath while I peeled off my suit. I gingerly lowered myself into the tub as the water filled in around me, hissing at the cold, but appreciating how it felt on my burned skin. All too soon the water around me heated, thanks to the radiant heat from my burns warming the water. Edward kept reaching in and swirling the water around, draining out what had warmed up and refilling it with cold.

Ten minutes later a knock was heard on the door. Edward jumped up to answer it, then came in, handing me a towel to cover myself before allowing the doctor to follow in behind us. "I forgot to set my alarm and we fell asleep in the sun," he told him, dragging his hand through his hair, his eyes filled with concern. "Her skin is so fair, and she put on sunblock, but it doesn't seem to have worked."

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen, I'm Doctor Snow, may I see your back please?" he asked, smiling kindly and pushing past Edward into the miniscule bathroom. I leaned forward and let him look. He hummed as he took in my burn, then turned around to ask me to stand so he could examine my legs after I'd wrapped a towel around my body. These he poked gently, seeing the response of my skin. "Well, looks like you have a good sunburn there. You're doing the right thing, keep in the cold water as long as you can, but don't let yourself get chilled. I'll ask the maid to bring you up some bottled water, be sure to drink at least sixteen ounces an hour for the next few hours. That'll help. Put some ice on it when you get out of the tub and stay out of the sun for the rest of the day. You should be all right, but it will smart a bit."

I was already beginning to chill, so as Edward thanked him and saw him to the door I climbed out of the bath. Thankfully I had some really wide-leg Bermuda shorts that I could put on. As soon as I was dressed I crashed on my stomach on the bed. "I'm going to get some bags of ice," Edward called. I nodded and, thanks to the cool of the air conditioner, fell off to sleep.

The feeling of ice being draped over the backs of my knees woke me, causing me to hiss again as the cold hit my skin. "I'm sorry," Edward murmured again. "I guess I should cancel our snorkeling trip."

"Don't you dare," I said forcefully. "I've had sunburns before, bad enough to blister. I'm sure this one will be sore, but if we drain out most of the heat, it should be fine." We spent the rest of the afternoon, lying side by side on the bed, ice packs being replaced on my knees and sometimes on my back, watching a movie on the flat-screen TV.

I honestly had no idea what the movie was, though, because after just a few minutes his lips were on mine. Softly he kissed me, as if he were pouring all his heart into trying to make me feel better. I was definitely distracted from the burn. Unfortunately, as soon as his hands hit my back, I was reminded of it. So, we spent the next few hours, connected at the lips, murmuring words of love.

* * *

I burned the backs of my knees on the first day of my cruise in Hawaii. Painful, but I'd waited for over twenty-five years to get to my fiftieth state and there was no way I would let it hold me back!


	76. Chapter 76 Puzzle

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Puzzle

* * *

After much ice, and gentle love making to distract me, I finally was able to rest. When I woke in the morning the backs of my knees still ached, but didn't look as if they would blister, although peeling was definitely going to happen. What also was going to happen, though, was snorkeling.

We had booked an excursion to go snorkeling in the molokini crater. Edward was prepared to back out, staying on the ship so that I wouldn't risk further burning my skin, but I was determined. I didn't fly all this way to spend the entire cruise in the cabin. After all, you can only have sex so often. A body has to rest.

So, with bathing suits, cover-up and many coats of sunblock on, we made our way to the line for the boat that would take us to the crater. Thankfully they offered wet-suits for us to snorkel in, and I jumped at the chance to pay the additional fee, knowing it would cover most of my burn from yesterday.

It took over an hour, but the trip itself was worthwhile. Edward and I managed to find a table under the deck with large windows to the side. Relaxing in his arms I watched the ocean go by, mesmerized by the flying fish that skirted over the tops of the waves as we raced along. My excitement was over the top when we finally reached the crater.

After a brief safety discussion, and a demonstration on how to put on the wet-suit and snorkel, we were allowed to hit the water. The only problem was the mask. It seemed my strap was twisted, and like a rhombus strip, it seemed to have only one side. No matter which way I turned it, it was still curled over. There was simply no way to puzzle out how to make it lay flat. Edward was highly amused as he watched my futile attempts. He, naturally, was ready to go in seconds, the suit clinging to the hard muscles formed from his hours in the saddle swinging a lasso. I refused to look at him, one disturbing phenomena was enough to handle.

"Would you like some help? Or would you like to stay on the boat after all?" he finally asked, after huffing a couple times in impatience, reaching his hand out to take it from me.

"It's impossible," I said with a sigh, turning it over to him. "I think I need a new one." He just examined it for a second, then with a flick of his wrist, it was set right. "How?" I sputtered, sure that the mask must be female. One look at Edward and even inanimate objects fell to his wishes. He just shrugged like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Finally I was ready. Wetsuit, check. Mask and snorkel, check. Fins, check. Climb onto the slide to go into the water, not happening. As I attempted to lift one fin-clad foot up I managed to connect with a very sensitive spot on one poor crew-member who was now regretting his offer to help me. Other brave souls came forward to put me on the slide, only to suffer a similar fate when I tried to swing my other leg around. No sooner was I straight in the slide than a forceful push was applied to my back and I went screaming into the water, swallowing a mouthful of ocean. I looked back in time to see my husband chuckling, so it must have been him. He was also giving his sympathies to the poor men I'd injured. Fine, I could swim without him, he can just stay on the boat.

Striking out, I propelled myself to where no one else was swimming. Many people tended to scare away fish and turtles, and I had come to see the wildlife. I would have kept going, except I took a second to look down and spied a small turtle slowly drifting on the current beneath me. He was beautiful, and I stilled to watch him.

It's illegal to touch sea turtles, or harass them in any way, but apparently nobody informed the turtle. He noticed me and more quickly than I could imagine was in my face, swimming directly into the lens of my mask, trying to see me on the other side. I let out a little squeak, looking around to escape and hopefully not get in trouble, only to find a photographer snapping a picture.

The turtle flapped his fins at me, swimming around my head as I turned to watch him. I was as much a wonder to this young creature as he was to me, it seemed. Barely breathing, still struggling to get the hang of breathing through my mouth with it full of tube, I watched as he pirouetted around me. Only my feet moved to keep me buoyant, my hands almost glued to my sides to resist the urge to touch him. Through my lens I noticed Edward, mask down in the water watching us.

When his curiosity was filled, the turtle swam off. I took the opportunity to raise my head from the water, remove the mask and snorkel and take in Edward's beaming face. "That was magnificent!" the photographer yelled as he swam to us. "I was over here to get some footage, and that turtle came right up to you. I got the whole thing on film." I was grinning like a fool.

"Can we get a copy of that?" Edward asked, pulling me close in the water.

"Sure thing, man, especially if you're willing to sign a waiver to let me use it in my film."

"Um, no one will know it's me, will they?" I asked. I was sure every physical flaw was magnified in this wetsuit.

"Not if you don't want them to," he replied. Then his eyes traveled down my body, his eyes taking on an appreciative gleam in spite of the water's distortion. "Although, miss, you have nothing to be ashamed of. It's too bad you weren't in just a bikini."

"The wetsuit is revealing enough," Edward said, his voice hard and territorial. The photographer got the clue immediately.

"Sure thing, bro. I'm on the same boat as you. Come see me and we'll exchange information. I'd love to be able to use that footage in my documentary." After manly nods were exchanged, something that caused me to giggle, the photographer swam off, leaving us alone in our own part of the ocean.

"That was amazing to watch, Bella," Edward said, his arms coming around me as his feet kicked to keep our faces out of the water. "And, I have to say he's right. It would have been better in a bikini, or," his voice lowered and heated, "nothing at all."

Fingers pulled at the zipper on my wetsuit, letting in the cold ocean water. It actually felt good against my burned skin, despite the little shiver that ran over me. "If you take that off and we lose it, it'll be expensive," I laughed, pushing away from him, but leaving the bit he had opened undone. Only my breasts were uncovered, but my bikini top kept everything decent.

"Not as expensive as losing this opportunity," he growled back, grabbing my foot and pulling me toward him. Quickly the zipper was drug all the way down, cold water flooding the suit and fanning the flames of my desire for him. One warm hand covered my breast, the temperature difference between it and the water sending tingles over my body.

He spun me, giving himself easier access while still holding my head above water. The one hand remained on my breast as the other traveled over my sex, the shocking temperature difference there making me gasp. "Let's use this water to cool your burn, shall we?" he asked, but there was no cooling going on. His fingers set to work in the way he knew I liked. My eyes took a quick inventory of who was swimming near us and told me we were quite alone. Leaning my head back on his shoulder, I gave myself over to his ministrations.

Right as my body began to explode, my little friend came swimming back. Edward stilled, leaving me hanging on the edge of a knife, panting and moaning, yet also biting my lip to try to hold myself frozen to get the turtle to return. Not far behind him was the photographer.

Edward yanked his hands from out of my suit, allowing only cold water to remain where heat had been before. The photographer seemed appreciative, because he immediately dived down and began to film. I didn't bother pulling up the zipper, the cold water did feel good.

A few hours later we were back on the boat, eating lunch. Edward and the photographer were sitting across from each other at our table as I wolfed down a sandwich and chips. They were arguing over the ownership of the prints and film. The photographer wanted them for his documentary. Edward wanted them because they were of me.

"They're perfect," the man said, "Exactly what I was hoping to get today! A pretty girl and an endangered species, swimming together in harmony. I plan to sell it to the tourism board."

"Let's make this simple," Edward said. "How much do you expect to earn?"

Dollar bills flashed in his eyes. "Well, there's also the chance for me to make it big with a movie. Your wife would make a perfect subject."

"How much?" Edward asked again, his voice cold and hard. Uh oh, I knew that voice. He wasn't in a mood to be trifled with.

"A hundred thousand dollars?" the man guessed. Edward just smiled.

Reaching into my bag Edward pulled out a checkbook. "One hundred thousand," he said, writing out a check, "and another hundred thousand when you show me proof every negative and file has been destroyed. I want it all."

"Edward, you're being ridiculous," I chided, but he just shushed me, and so did the photographer.

"You've got a deal," he agreed, reaching over to shake my husband's hand.

* * *

On our trip to the crater the water was too rough for us to go, so we ended up at a different reef. One of our friends, who was on a different boat with a different captain who thought they could handle it, did make it to the crater, and she had a turtle swim right at her just like this! It is illegal to touch or harass them, but there's little you can do if they come up to you. And yes, the wetsuit did cover my sunburn nicely.

On another note, some silly person wants to publish my book. The story is an expansion of the one-shot Taking Liberties. If you haven't read that yet and want to, do so soon because I'll be taking it down within the next month or so. I'll probably be spending loads of time editing (in case you haven't noticed, I have a thing for run-on sentences), so updates may be infrequent. I'll let you know when it comes available. And yes, I'm seriously dancing and squeeing on the inside.


	77. Chapter 77 Crazy

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Crazy, hazy, lazy

* * *

When we got back to the ship the dubious photographer followed us up to our stateroom, I'm guessing he was sure he wasn't going to get the money until he walked in. Seeing the private Jacuzzi on our deck convinced him otherwise.

"Hand over your SD card, please," Edward commanded, holding his hand out.

"How do I know I can trust you?" the guy asked while still looking around. I took that opportunity to head to the bathroom and shower off the salt water. Listening closely I heard my crazy husband make a phone call, make the funds transfer and get the card. With that I stepped under the spray.

The cold water of the ocean had helped my burn some, and the wetsuit had protected the worst of it from further exposure. However, it only went halfway down my calves, so there was fresh burn there, necessitating another cold shower. Edward walked in just as I was shutting off the water.

"You okay honey?" he asked, peeking in, then smiling at my nakedness.

"I wonder how long it'll be before you no longer grin when you see me naked." He just rolled his eyes and leaned in for a kiss. "How do you know you got everything?" I asked as I toweled dry.

"I searched his camera and wiped the card and memory clean before reinstalling the pictures that didn't contain you," he said, shedding his own clothes and stepping around me to wash himself. "What should we do tonight?"

"There's a lei making class starting in another twenty minutes," I told him, looking over the roster that had been left on the tiny desk. "I'd really like to do that."

I'm sure I could hear his eyes roll from here. "That sounds like fun," he said, sarcasm lacing his voice.

Since I really did want to go, I decided to ignore the tone. "Great! I'll hurry and get ready!"

"Bella!" he cried, but with a laugh I turned on the hair dryer to drown him out.

He slapped my bottom as I was bent over drying my hair when he got out of the shower, making me laugh some more. Standing up straight and turning off the dryer I watched him look over the list of activities. "I'll make you a deal, I'll make lei's with you if you go dancing with me."

Hula classes immediately followed lei making, so with an ulterior motive I smiled and agreed. Apparently I seemed all too happy about it, because he looked at me askance, wondering why. I just smiled.

Pretending to be put upon he huffed loudly as I dragged him into the auditorium to start the lei class. Both of us were confused when we were handed two different colors of green ribbon, but shrugged and found a seat. To our surprise, the first lei being taught was a woven one, the type that most men wore.

"Now remember, it is bad luck to keep your lei," the instructor said, far too happy to be normal after patiently walking about a hundred people who were all thumbs through the process. "You have to give it away. The traditional way is to put it over someone's head and kiss both cheeks."

Turning to Edward I held up my finished piece. "Wanna get lei'd?" I asked with a teasing grin.

"Promises, promises," he replied, holding up his own masterpiece and slipping it over my head. It simply wasn't fair, mine had probably a million mistakes in it, but his was perfect. He still allowed me to drape it over his neck, pulling me in close for kisses.

"Now for dancing!" the lei instructor cried out, and I jumped up, grabbing Edward's hand and pulling him with me.

"Now wait, this isn't what I meant!" he protested, pulling back with an amused glare.

"You didn't specify!" I trilled, pulling him along, dragging feet and all.

Fifteen minutes later I was trying to follow the hand movements they were showing us. Edward was being atypically lazy, barely waving his arms and looking quite put upon. I'm sure his eyes were rolling more than his wrists. Eventually he just gave up and watched me.

He got excited then.

We started moving our feet, thankfully just picking them up and putting them down, but it did make our hips sway. His eyes latched onto that movement like it was a tractor beam. My hands tried to move gracefully, but it was either hips or hands that were moving, not both, and given my husband's reaction, I was sticking to hips.

The voice of the instructor became hazy as I watched him saunter over to me, his hands reaching out and grasping my hips. Circling behind me he stood as far back as he could reach, and mirrored the motion of my hips with his own. And here I thought he hadn't been paying attention!

My hands covered his as we continued through the steps we'd been taught, then true to his nature, he began to mix it up. His improvisations fit in perfectly with the steps I was repeating over and over, making it seem sensual and alluring, almost as if we were having sex at a distance on the dance floor.

Circling around me his hands moved up my sides in a spiral before he came to rest behind me once more. His fingers trailed along the undersides of my arms until twining with my own and beginning to move them in the flow of what had been shown us. Each step he came slightly closer, moving my hands up and out, telling some story I had no comprehension of, until his hips touched mine and he pulled my hands behind his head.

Leaving my hands clasped around his neck, our feet now moving in perfect synchronicity, he trailed his fingers back down the undersides of my arms, down my sides, barely brushing my breasts, until they rested on my hips. By this time I was panting heavily, need for him burning through me.

He nudged aside my hair, placing his lips on my neck and pulling me hard back into him just as the music stopped. The room erupted in applause, breaking me from the spell he had put me under with his sensual dance. My face burned with a mixture of passion and embarrassment.

"You have to dance at our end of cruise party!" the instructor cried, clapping her hands and jumping up and down in excitement. Funny, I didn't think Alice was on this cruise with us, but this was definitely her personality doppelganger.

"Absolutely not," I insisted, pulling my hands back to in front of me and crossing them defiantly.

Edward chuckled. "Sorry, miss, but no. This wasn't planned. I think we have other dancing we'd rather do," he said, his eyes on me and burning. There was no doubt what this 'other' dancing was.

"Maybe we should go back to our cabin now?" I asked him quietly.

"Most definitely," he said, walking backward and pulling me along. "I think we have a baby to make."

* * *

I tried hula dancing on the cruise. Baboo refused. He even left the room. This would have been a great deal more fun, but our teenagers are grossed out because we hug in public so it's probably for the best. Then again, listening to them gag would have been fun too.


	78. Chapter 78 Inward

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Inward  
**Dialogue Prompt**: "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" he asked.

* * *

The ship changed ports every evening, and it added an interesting sensation to our lovemaking to include the slight rocking due to the waves. Since we still hadn't completely changed our internal clocks, we also found ourselves waking in the early morning hours as the ship was pulling into the next port. There was something very comforting of lying naked in Edward's arms, watching the sun come up over the ocean with the mountains of the next island in the distance.

We were on the big island today, and Edward decided that instead of joining another tour group it would be more fun to rent a car. After a wonderful breakfast in the restaurant that only was open for breakfast and lunch to those on suite level, this time I enjoyed crab-cakes benedict, we walked the short distance into town to get our rental car. Since it was Edward, it was a convertible two-seater sports car.

We had our choice to go either north to the waterfalls or south to the volcanoes. Since it would take forever to drive to the volcanoes tomorrow, when we would be docked in Kona, we opted for them today.

Heading inward from the ocean we enjoyed the drive. The air was fragrant with blossoms, orchids blooming along the road. My hair was in a braided ponytail, the thought of brushing out those tangles making my fingers fly to secure it, and the top was down. I also had on probably an inch thick layer of sunblock. That was Edward's requirement for putting the top down.

It only took about an hour to reach the volcano. Due to lava flows we weren't allowed to drive all the way around, but it was still really cool to stand on the edge of the crater and look down. Seeing the earth actively churning below was incredible. The smell of sulfur wasn't too strong, thanks to the wind blowing from the west.

The visitor's center beckoned, and we were both taken with the pictures of eruptions that were offered for sale. There were also shirts, some of the softest I'd ever felt, that Edward simply had to purchase. I did manage to talk him out of the rock of sulfur under glass, as well as the burned wood, and vial of volcanic ash.

After spending at least an hour perusing all the center had to offer, we came across a map outlining hiking trails. We both were excited by the prospect of walking through a lava tube, so got back into the car and drove out to the entrance.

It wasn't a long hike down to the tube, at least in terms of distance. However, it took us both forever as we quite literally stopped to smell the flowers. There was a distinctive scent I'd been inhaling for days, and when I came across the ginger flowers I knew I had found its source. The trailing petals were so richly scented the smell seemed to infuse everything. Naturally Edward had to get a picture of me surrounded by them. It was the one photo I didn't mind having taken.

The tube itself was immense; at least twenty feet high and old enough to be covered in moss. Except for the lights placed every so often, it was pitch black in there. The sounds of water dripping echoed all around us, and despite the fact that there were a number of people walking through the tube, it was possible to feel completely alone.

Halfway through we stopped, looking at the light at both ends of the tunnel. Pulling gently Edward leaned against the wall and held me close. We talked about the roots of the trees growing down into the tube, amazed at the tenacity of living things to be able to push through the hardest rock and take root. Then we were quiet, just resting and enjoying the cool moist air on our skin.

My head lay on his shoulder, our breathing light as we just relaxed. "Are you happy?" he whispered while squeezing lightly around my waist. I returned the squeeze and nodded. "Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?" he asked, lowering his head so that his cheek rested on my hair.

"Hopefully happy as well," I whispered back, snuggling in slightly. He hummed in contentment.

After a few minutes passed we could hear a group of teenagers laughing and calling at the entrance, seeing how loudly they could make their voices echo. "There goes our peace and quiet," Edward said, shrugging off the wall and gently pushing me away. His hand trailed down my arm to link his fingers with mine, slowly walking towards the exit.

It was almost dinnertime when we finally made it back to the ship, having spent some time in town shopping for trinkets. I'd managed to find a mother-of-pearl plumeria pendant that I knew Alice would go nuts for. It had a small pearl in the middle that was a soft pink. Edward picked out some pearl earrings for his mother and some black pearl earrings for Rose, thinking they would stand out against her hair.

Not wanting to deal with the dining room crowd we called our butler. He ordered us some sushi up, and even went so far as to get us some oreo milkshakes for dessert. We just ate at the table on our balcony, which was a good thing, since the boat was quickly cruising now in order to make it around the tip of the island. No sooner had Bas picked up our tray then the waves started to push back, causing the boat to really rock up and down. I'm sure that if I hadn't been outside, with the wind on my face, I would have been seasick.

Still, about an hour after it was dark, we reached the lava flows. The molten rock glowed as it traveled to the sea, visible even through the mists it created when it hit the water. The sounds of people oohing and ahing above us reached our ears, but we were thankful we could just sit in our own little cocoon and watch. Sadly it didn't last very long, even with the boat slowing significantly to prolong our time of viewing.

Finally the last glow of the lava was out of sight, only the moon reflecting on the waves illuminated the darkness. We were lying on our lounge chairs, hands resting on the little table between us, intertwined.

"Bella, you know if we don't have children I'll still love you, right?" he said, turning his concerned eyes to me.

A tear slipped from my eye. "Yes, I know. I feel the same. I just love the idea of a little version of us running around."

"Hmm," he agreed, giving my fingers a squeeze. A minute later he started to chuckle. "I just hope none of them get whatever genes Emmett inherited." And with that my melancholy was gone, and we both fell asleep on the balcony, chuckling.

* * *

Sometimes there's just something sweet about falling asleep holding hands. Much more romantic than sex, don't you think?


	79. Chapter 79 Wired

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Wired, tired, fired

* * *

We joined a tour group, after bivouacking to shore, to go see the waterfalls the next morning. We chose poorly. It would have been better to rent a car again. The other people in the van with us seemed to share our opinion, but at least we were having fun as a group. Our driver thought we needed to stop and look at every orchid along the way. The first few times were cool, and we all took pictures. The twentieth time we rolled our eyes and suggested it might be nice to get to our destination.

After spending the hours traveling back to the side of the island we had been docked at the day before, we finally made it to the waterfalls. It was worth it. The air was filled with the fragrance of ginger blossoms as we hiked to the best viewing platform. After about thirty minutes we moved on to the next set of waterfalls, then the next. Each one was slightly different. One set was incredibly tall, the water falling hundreds of feet in a white sheet to the small pool below. The next one was a like steps for a giant, the water falling softly over the edges. At the third there was a tree where you could literally write your name on a leaf and it would remain for years.

Once all the waterfalls were ogled, we went to a macadamia nut plantation. There were fairly tame chickens following us around the farm, hoping someone would drop a chip. One intrepid teenager shook his bag, only to have them all converge on him enmasse. He ended up ripping it open and flinging the tasty morsels, scattering the flock while we all laughed.

There were trees everywhere, and we laughed as we walked around the farm. Once we got to a bridge, though, Edward froze. He had been taking pictures of everything, making me stand beside trees and bushes, asking others to take shots of us together, and handing the camera to me to take a few of him. Okay, the last was under duress, but if I had to have my picture taken then so did he.

Still, he was looking at everything through the lens of the camera, until we got to the bridge. It wasn't really much of a bridge, just a water pipe with handrails and a platform wired on it to walk on in reality, but it did cross a quite deep gorge. I had gone ahead with a few of the other wives when I became aware of the fact that no one was behind me. Looking back I could see him on the other side of the bridge. Just standing there, hands with a death grip on the handrails as the camera swung from his neck.

"Don't look down," the tour director was calling. "Only look ahead." The look he gave her was malevolent, and if I could read his lips I'm sure the words would have been offensive.

"Honey?" I called, surprised by his behavior. Hearing my voice his eyes trained on me and he began to cross the bridge. The closer he got the faster he went, until he was on my side and wrapping me in his arms. "Are you all right?" I asked, my face smushed against his chest.

"Yep, just a really weird sense of vertigo," he admitted. I could feel him shaking a bit, his breathing quicker than normal and his heart slowing but still fast. "That's never happened before."

"You want to talk about it?" I asked quietly. He shook his head and just held me a moment longer. Once his heart stopped racing he stepped back with a smile. "All better?"

"Let's talk at dinner," he said, linking his fingers with mine and pulling me to follow the crowd.

We ate lunch in a gazebo with an amazing view of the ocean. It was simple, sandwiches, pasta salad and cookies, but after all our hiking it tasted divine. From there we visited the farm's gift shop, picking up macadamia nut honey; its dark nutty flavor was completely different. We knew Esme would go crazy for it.

When the tour was over, the tired group headed back to the vans. Only, there was a problem, the other tour van had a flat tire. The tour guide was beside himself, fretting that if we didn't get back on time he would get fired. So my ever-helpful husband set to work, calling over a few of the other younger men. It took three guys interlinking arms and jumping up and down on the tire iron to get the lug nuts to budge; it was the first time I really missed Emmett since we'd arrived. Still, they had it changed in just a few minutes. There was one problem, though, the spare was also flat.

One of the guys in the other van calmed his driver, letting him know that he was a lawyer and he would have a talk with the boss regarding making sure the equipment was in proper working order before heading out. After a quick discussion, everyone who had to get back to the ship climbed into our van while those who didn't have a deadline to meet moved to the one with the flat, and we were off.

There was only one stop on the way back for ice cream. I'd never had a mango bar before, but it was heavenly. It did have the unintended side effect of putting me to sleep, however.

We had missed dinner service again, and didn't want to deal with the buffet lines, so called Bas and asked him to bring us some food in our cabin. Once again we dined at our little table, this time enjoying the sights of the ship's anchors being hoisted and watching the island slip away. As we quietly ate I would tear my view from the water and island to glance at Edward. He hadn't been forthcoming with any more information about what happened on the bridge.

Catching my glances he rolled his eyes, sighed, and set down his fork. "It was just vertigo, Bella, nothing to be worried about."

"Says you," I replied snarkily. "You never get vertigo, what happened?"

"The height caught me unawares. One moment I was looking at something really close up through the camera lens, the next there was the gorge deep below me. It was just disconcerting." He leaned over and took my hand. "Until I looked at you. That gave me something to focus on." His fingers played with my ring for a moment as he sat quietly. "Maybe I'm just getting old."

"Hmmpf," I snorted. "You're barely thirty, Edward. That doesn't qualify as old. I just wondered if maybe you should get your eyes, ears or blood pressure checked."

His faced looked pained. "Please tell me you're not going to be one of those wives who nag their husbands about their health," he begged.

"Too bad, I am. I like you and want you to stick around," I teased, using my other hand to pop a piece of papaya into my mouth.

Placing his fingers under my chin he turned my face to his. With a warm smile he said, "I love you too."

* * *

I'm always nagging baboo about exercising more and eating fewer hamburgers. He just smiles, tells me he loves me too, then sits on a couch and takes a bite. How he's still so thin is beyond me. He also had that same reaction to the bridge I described here when we were in Hawaii!


	80. Chapter 80 Hush

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Hush

* * *

It was nice to linger on the balcony, watching the sun go down over the ocean as we traveled to our next port. "Wanna sleep out here again?" Edward asked, twining his fingers with mine.

"Not particularly," I said, snorting a laugh. "I woke up with a pinched neck, cold, and all I could reach of you was your hand."

"Hmm," he said, his eyes starting a slow burn. "I do hate it when I can't reach you." Simply smiling at him I waited. There was no doubt what he was thinking, but I liked this game. Sure enough, one eyebrow went up as we continued to stare at each other. Amusement joined the fire in his eyes as we waited each other out.

Minutes passed. It seemed like hours, but his eyes never left mine, just staring deeply. Neither one was going to speak first, but from the corner of my eye I could make out that his hand was twitching. The fingers would extend as if he were going to reach for me, only to curl up into a fist. This just made my smile grow.

Finally, he'd had enough. "This is a sex cruise woman, why are we out on the balcony?" he asked, jumping up from his chair and making me laugh as he pulled me up from mine. "And I seem to recall that nothing happened yesterday. That means you have some making up to do."

It was impossible to not shriek a little when he threw me over his shoulder to carry me into the bedroom. In no time my back hit the mattress of the bed and he fell down beside me. My laughter continued as he pulled off my clothes, tickling my ribs, complaining I had too many on and acting as if he'd been deprived for too long.

"Edward," I giggled, pulling on his shirt as well. Secretly my hope was to trap his arms in it so he couldn't tickle me anymore, not that I minded him being half-naked. "Edward, stop making me laugh or I'm going to have to run to the bathroom." Fingers dug into my ribs again, but his face was closer to my chest and his eyes were fixated on my breasts.

A hush fell over him as he stopped tickling me and laid his head down on my breast. Arms wrapped around me as he held me close, the only sound was our labored breathing. Sensing the change in his mood, I placed one hand on his head, my fingers trailing through his hair, the other wrapped around his back. Gone was his joking as his need for a connection, both physical and emotional, reached out to me.

I placed a soft kiss on the top of his head. He began to nuzzle me in response, softly and gently removing the rest of my clothes as his head remained on my chest. There was a second of disconnect when he took off his own clothes, kicking them off the bed as he crawled back into position, head on my chest, listening to my heart.

"What's wrong?" I asked quietly, stroking the stubble on his chin that had grown throughout the day.

"Just a scary thought," he replied. His head turned just enough for his lips to begin trailing kisses along my breastbone.

"What?" I asked, the question airy as my breathing picked up in response to his touch.

He shook his head. "Something silly," he replied. I froze. A quick glance up and I was sure he could see my worry. With a sigh he pulled himself back up my body, laying beside me and holding me close. "I was just thinking of you, pregnant, and thought of all the women who've died in childbirth."

"Edward…" I started, but he placed his finger on my lips to quiet me.

"I know, it's rare and I'm crazy. But, it flitted through my mind and I just thought about my life without you and it scared me." The worry was replaced with an eye roll. "Don't tell Emmett, he'll accuse me of being a girl."

I knew what he was feeling, because I'd had those thoughts before too. The 'what if's terrified me, no matter how ridiculous they were. Then I would grow impatient with myself for worrying over something that had almost a zero chance of happening.

Edward needed a distraction. My hand, which was resting on his chest, started to travel down his stomach. Tracing the ridges that were still there, finding his happy trail, feeling his stomach contract as I watched the motion of my fingers, I whispered, "You don't feel like a girl."

As my fingers wrapped around his most sensitive spot he groaned, "You do." With that I was on my back again.

The next morning I was awakened by kisses along my back. "Ready to get dirty?" he asked when he realized I was awake.

"With you? Always," I teased, enjoying the fact that neither of us had put clothes on again. He smirked, placed a quick kiss on my lips, and jumped out of the bed. "Hey! I thought we were gonna get dirty!" I complained.

"We are. Don't bother with a shower and put on your bathing suit. Wear clothes you don't care about," he said with a laugh, reaching for his swim trunks and an old t-shirt.

Edward had told me he wanted to surprise me with every activity we did. Granted, he'd asked my opinions on things I thought interesting, but each day had been something of a surprise. Sitting up in bed, hands on hips, I fitted him with a glare.

"Edward Cullen, what are we doing?" I said. His gaze drifted down, following the sheet until my breasts were uncovered. Noticing his distraction I grabbed the material and used it to cover myself up. "Well?" I demanded of his disappointed gaze.

His eyes lit up and his smile grew. "We're going mud buggying!"

* * *

I know, I faded to black. Sorry, but I figured you all know what went w


	81. Chapter 81 Sable

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Sable

* * *

There was no doubt in my mind, my husband had lost his. We were standing next to a shack, dune buggies lined up nearby being hosed down by some young teenager, looking at a hulking guy with a beard that was obviously born thirty years too late. This guy would have made the perfect hippie. He was calling us forward, one by one, throwing us old, mud-stained clothes and pointing out where we could change.

This was after he had gone over the rules. We must wear our helmets. No hot-dogging – he obviously had never met Edward. We must wear our harness while moving. Don't get too far behind. If we didn't conform to the rules he would take out our spark-plugs, leave us on the side of the road, and have one of his buddies come by to pick us up. If we tried to come out of this clean he would throw a bucket of mud on us himself.

There were no worries about the last part. When Edward had heard we would get really dirty he got far more excited than was natural. I resigned myself to the idea of a long shower when we were done.

The pants I had been assigned were huge, and Paul, our hulking, bearded, hippie guide, handed me a length of rope to thread through the belt loops. Some of the girls, young teenagers tugging on bits of their bikinis, trying to impress the teenage boys and ogling my husband, complained about being covered up in the oversized pants and t-shirt, but Paul just laughed at them, told them to put their hair up if they knew what was good for them, and walked to the first buggy. Thankfully I had brought my Trek shoes; they were made to get wet and muddy. I suppose that was why Alice had insisted I purchase some for the trip.

"Ready to get dirty?" Edward asked as he started up our assigned buggy. We would be riding together and I had a feeling I would be very grateful for the off-roading harness pretty soon. I just laughed at his obvious excitement and puckered my lips out at him. He readily obliged, leaning down to give me a kiss. It was difficult with the helmet in the way, but we managed.

"Everyone listen up!" Paul bellowed. "We will be going down this road. Then we will turn. If I turn right, you turn right. If I turn left, you turn left. If you turn the wrong way, you will get lost and I have better things to do than search for you." The group tittered nervously, unsure if he was serious or not. He glared at those laughing, trying to look frightening, but that made me giggle. It was anything but intimidating.

"We will be going through the area where they filmed _Jurassic Park_. Any stragglers will be fed to the T-Rex." More laughter followed. "We will stop for lunch at a waterfall. Feel free to rinse off in the lake at the bottom. Food will be sandwiches and chips." He stopped for a second, and tried to look scary again. "Remember, I will throw mud on you if you try to stay clean, HOWEVER!" he boomed the last part. "I've been leading this tour for five years and haven't gotten wet yet. I don't plan to today. Got it?"

"Got it!" the group yelled back, still laughing. Edward just looked at me and winked.

Soon we were off, going along a flat, dirt road. It had rained recently, so puddles were deep along the edge. I could hear screams from some of the girls as water splashed over them, followed by sputtering as the muddy water got into their mouths. I was locking my lips together to keep the water out, but it was hard. This was fun! Edward and I were both soaked and had rivulets of mud running down our faces in just a couple minutes.

After about a half-hour of racing through muddy roads we came to a tunnel. Paul stopped us to tell us something about the topography. I was impressed to learn that on the other side of the mountain we would be driving under they received almost four times as much rain as this side got. Translation: If we thought we'd gotten muddy before, it was about to get tons worse.

He had us all gather together for a picture, and I laughed. We were virtually indistinguishable, all of us the same sable-brown color as the mud. White smiles broke through brown faces for the camera, and then we were back into our buggies.

We spent another hour going up and down through the dirt roads, covering a good portion of the island. It was absolutely beautiful, and Edward would slow to allow me to pull the camera out of the Ziploc baggie we kept it in and take pictures. Even covered head to toe in mud he was gorgeous. I swear he intentionally headed for each and every bog he could find, throwing up mud until my hair was caked. He probably just loved hearing me squeal with laughter.

Paul pulled us to a stop in the middle of a jungle, pointing at a small port-a-potty along the side of the road. "If you gotta go, that's it!" he said. All the women lined up while the men headed into the woods. They were all waiting for us, complaining that we took too long, until one of the wives told her husband that they didn't have outdoor plumbing so couldn't all go at once like bears in the woods.

Half an hour after that we pulled up to a beautiful four-tier waterfall, ending in a small pond. A covered deck with picnic tables was built next to it, and Edward and I laughed at the teenage girls who ran screaming for shelter when it began to rain. They were covered in mud and water, and thought some rain would hurt them? But then the drops got bigger, almost painful when hitting our skin, and we moved under the shelter as well.

Paul and his helper were digging out our lunch, describing the different types of sandwiches available while the rain continued. Everyone selected something appealing, along with chips and a drink, and we settled down to talk. Paul led us in getting to know each other, asking about jobs, children, where we were from and what brought us here. Everyone had a laugh when Edward explained we came to make a baby, especially after I backhanded him.

Some of us went swimming in the pond, it was nice to wash off some of the caking mud. Edward and a few of the more adventuresome guys climbed to the top of the falls and jumped in, spraying everyone around them. All too soon it was time to get back into our buggies and head for the start.

It seemed Paul had saved the best for last, though. The trails he took us on this time actually required some serious driving, forcing Edward to concentrate while I held on for dear life. It was a really good thing the buggies had a low center of gravity or I was sure we'd tip over sideways. Even with careful driving I was positive we slid most of the way down one hill. It was with a sigh of relief that we reached a flat section of the road and stopped. And waited. And waited some more.

People were getting out of their vehicles, walking forward to see what the problem was. It turned out that one of the buggies had stalled, and Paul was calling in for a replacement. He climbed onto the back of one buggy, asking that driver to take him to a side road. We all watched him go, then burst out in laughter when the buggy hit a huge puddle, sending up a wave of water that was higher than Paul standing in the back!

"I said to not get me wet!" Paul yelled, his voice carrying down the road and over the gales of laughter that followed. We all had to get a picture with him. His assistant was having the most fun, telling us that it was true, that this was the first time in five years he'd ever gotten wet or muddy.

The buggy was replaced, and we got underway again. It took another hour to reach our starting point. The way was filled with more mud thanks to the rain, and we were tired enough to be glad to see the tunnel that would take us back to the other side. Still, it seemed all too soon that we were turning in our buggies, peeling off our mud-soaked clothes and showering in our suits before putting our own clothes back on.

Despite the 'shower' we took under the dripping hose at the end of our drive, we both jumped into our small shower in our room on the ship. Edward carefully worked the shampoo through my long hair time and again, until it finally ran clean of dirt. Then he washed it one last time, just in case. We both took the time to wash each other, especially our backs, ensuring all the mud was gone.

Holding me under the spray he laid his cheek on top of my head. "Did you have fun?" he asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

"Mmhmm," I said, feeling warm in his arms.

"Wanna have some more?" he asked, his hands beginning to travel once more over my backside. In answer I pressed my lips to his chest.

* * *

If I ever make it back there, I'm definitely doing this again! I have great pictures of me with baboo and the two younger kids, covered in mud, laughing our heads off. Oh, and the shower afterward wasn't bad either! *wink*


	82. Chapter 82

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Whim

* * *

We'd spent the evening in one of the pay restaurants on the ship. Edward thought it would be nice to be wined and dined, especially since there weren't a large number of fine dining establishments in our small town. In truth, if we wanted to eat out there was only the one diner, and while the food was very good and the service friendly, it was about as far from 'fine' as you could get. So, on a whim, he called our butler and had him make us a reservation.

It was a bad idea. I'm not sure if it was Edward's cowboy hat or my casual sundress, but paying attention to us was about as high on their list of things to do as jumping ship in the middle of the ocean. Granted it advertised relaxed European dining, but waiting forty-five minutes for a waiter to take your order was a bit much. Edward started snarking that they were having to grow the lettuce when our salads finally appeared, another thirty-five minutes later.

Still, the food was good, and it was nice to sit and watch the ocean go by while talking quietly with my husband. He was completely mum on the next day's activities, but the sparkle in his eyes made me look forward to them just the same. We discussed possible names for our children, renovations for a nursery, possibilities of adopting if we couldn't conceive, and how we were going to get Emmett to not ask about how often we had sex.

As we left the restaurant Edward put his arm around my waist, holding me close as we walked to our cabin. "Let's never eat there again," he said with a laugh. Since there wasn't anyone else on the deck I twisted in his arms, wrapping mine around his waist, and answered him with a kiss.

When he made love to me it was slow, sweet, and for the first time since we decided to try to get pregnant, I allowed myself to just relax and enjoy his tender touches. Not that I hadn't enjoyed every time we came together, but it was different. This time it was as if I had finally accepted that if it was only going to be the two of us for the rest of our lives, then I would be content.

"Bella," his soft voice called quietly. His fingers were running lightly up and down my bare back as he gently woke me. "I'm sorry to do this, but we have to get up and moving." It didn't matter how much I groaned, he just pulled me from the bed.

It was surprising when we ended up at a strip mall, and my jaw dropped when I saw what he had planned. "We're going on a helicopter tour of the island?" It's possible small dogs were cringing in pain from how my voice rose in excitement.

"Yes, darling, we are," he said, a huge smile spreading over his face.

"Is this for you or me?" I asked.

"Both," he replied, placing a light kiss on my forehead and dragging me inside.

We had to be weighed, but thankfully the number only appeared on the computer of the girl assigning seating. That was followed by a video on safety in approaching and loading onto the copter, as well as instructions on how the harness worked and where to plug in our headphones. Apparently it would be too loud to give the instructions out on the field. Finally our group loaded into a van and we were taken to the airport.

For the next couple hours I looked in awe at the same island I had mud buggyed over the day before. Only now, there was so much more. The mountains towered so high we couldn't go over them. The waterfalls cascaded thousands of feet, fed only by the hundreds of inches of rain that fell on the tops of those mountains.

My hand grasped hold of Edward's as the pilot flew into the middle of the mountains, bringing us so close to the sheeting water that I felt all I needed to do was lean out of the copter and I would touch them. He turned and smiled at me the first time my fingers touched his, but then kept his eyes on the view, sometimes squeezing my hand to be sure I noticed something in particular.

Eventually the pilot made his way to the Napali coastline, flying by it slowly and allowing us to take in the amazing sights in front of us. I had no idea something could be so beautiful.

The flight around the island took about two hours and Edward and I spent the entire time pointing out views to each other. It was amazing. As we circled back into the airport I leaned over as far as the harness allowed to put my head on his shoulder. His hand reached out to stroke my face, his thumb making small circles on my cheekbone. We couldn't really talk, unless we wanted everyone on the helicopter to hear us, but the look in his eyes was enough.

After landing he held me in his arms, my cheek on his chest, as we waited for the van to take us back to the ship. "Did you like that?" he asked.

"Very much. Are you going to tell me what we're doing tomorrow?"

"We'll be docking in Honolulu, so I thought we'd see the Arizona Memorial, then go over to the Polynesian Cultural Center. After that we hop on a plane home." We both sighed, realizing that our time in paradise was drawing to a close. His arms tightened around me. "This has been a good trip."

"It has," I replied, snuggling into the crook of his shoulder. "I think it was just what I needed."

"Are you ready to see an infertility doctor?" he asked against my hair, resting his cheek on my head.

"Yes, I am."

* * *

I didn't check this a second time, running off to training, so please excuse any errors Have a lovely weekend!


	83. Chapter 83 Aromatic

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Aromatic  
**Dialogue Flex**: "Make me an offer," he stated.

* * *

Standing on the Arizona memorial, watching blips of oil bleed from the warship below, was nothing short of humbling. To think that so many died so needlessly, that the very oil and disputes over it are what caused this tragedy in the first place, pull tears from my eyes. How many have died as a result of anger, hate, jealousy and fear? Nations fight against nations until only vengeance remains, and it never ends.

Edward's arms wrap around me from behind as another drop of oil bubbles to the surface. "Have you seen the wall?" he asks quietly, referring to the list of names of the people who died that awful day. I simply nod, too overcome with the loss to respond. As he holds me I can hear grandparents talking to grandchildren, telling them what they remember of the war. The grandchildren are now older than their grandparents were then, but they listen and hopefully learn.

It is almost a relief to leave that solemn place where so much heartache unfolded. Still, as I go I leave with a sense of the sacrifice that so many have made so that our little corner of the world can live free. It's impossible to not also think of those wives and children who lost husbands and fathers that day, and I wonder who had it harder: the men who died or the loved ones left behind? A glance at Edward answers how I would have felt if it had been him.

An hour later our tour bus pulled up to the Polynesian Cultural Center. The air was rich with the perfume of highly aromatic flowers and the sound of drums beating behind the gates. We don't have much time here, so Edward and I pour over the map, deciding which cultures we want to go visit. "Let's be sure to find a spot along the river for the noon show," he says excitedly. I grin, wanting to see it as well.

We walk around and watch the presentations given by young people who attend the university nearby. I particularly enjoyed watching the Somoan boys climb palm trees, retrieve coconuts, and then open them. Edward scowls, thinking I'm really only taken with their bare chests. They are admittedly impressive, and it's impossible not to laugh as one young man flexes one peck and then the other, making them dance. Still, they are just boys, no matter how buff they are.

The New Zealand Maori exhibit has us both enthralled, especially the amazing boat that's on display. As a result, we lose track of time. The rumbling of my stomach is the only thing that distracts Edward enough to look at his watch. "The river show is about to start!" he cries, grabbing my hand.

All the seats and viewing places are taken by the time we get where we need to be. I spy an empty spot, but when we get there we see that it's for handicapped only and their attendants. Another young man is standing there, guarding the entrance, and smiling at my disappointment. "Make me an offer," he states with a wink.

"That's all right, I don't want to take any seats from others. I can stand on a rock," I tell him as we turn to leave, and I swear he rolls his eyes just like Edward does.

"There's no one up there, ma'am," he laughs, "so if you want to go, it's fine." I'm too excited to cringe at him calling me 'ma'am.' We end up with the best seats!

Partway through the show, Edward starts to chuckle. "What?" I ask him. His eyes are practically dancing!

"Imagine Emmett watching this," he whispers back. I choke on my own laughter and grab my phone to take pictures. Knowing my brother-in-law, he'd be up on the guard rail of the porch we were sitting on, trying to mimic the dancers. Most likely he'd choose the female ones, swaying his hips in an exaggerated, and probably obscene, fashion.

Once the show was over we moved onto a bigger and better show, the luau – Edward's words, not mine. The man could definitely eat, especially when there was roast pork, fresh pineapple, and more. He leaned over to tease me that he was hoping there was a fertility god ceremony somewhere, receiving an elbow in the ribs for his trouble.

"Bad idea," he gulped when I accidentally hit his stomach instead. "Unless you _want_ to see everything I've eaten again."

"Ew, no," I replied disgustedly before taking pity on him and rubbing his stomach.

He leaned over and whispered in my ear. His breath was hot on my cheek and his voice was husky. "Lower," was all he said. I crossed my legs to his laughter.

Hours later we were over the Pacific Ocean once more. His arms were wrapped loosely around me, giving me a warm and comfortable place to rest my head. Gone was the anticipation of when we were flying out. No more teasing touches. No more heated looks. All that was replaced with peace as we made our way back to Houston.

"You're awfully quiet," he whispered. "Are you sleeping?"

I shook my head. "No, just relaxing."

His arms tightened slightly before relaxing again; a kiss was placed on the top of my head. "Good," he replied, falling silent for a moment before speaking again. "You should probably get plenty of rest," he added finally.

"Why?" I asked around a yawn, making him chuckle.

Fingers trailed up my arm and down my side, barely skimming the side of my breast before winding around my waist. "Because I'm looking forward to climbing into our own bed with you."

Gone was the peace and comfort, replaced with fire and excitement. With a groan I complained, "This is gonna be another long flight."

* * *

Back to reality! Um, well, their reality anyway.


	84. Chapter 84 Flank

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Flank

* * *

We'd been back from the sex cruise for a few months and still no baby. The difference now was that I was willing to relax.

It was fun to go with Edward on house calls again. Visiting Lauren's cows made me giggle. Edward's knowing smirk when I started made me cough, but when Lauren huffed, still in stilettos of all things, and turned for home, I lost it.

"Why she wears those clothes in a barn is beyond me," Edward said, shaking his head at her retreating back. "Granted Alice loves her shoes, but even she has enough sense to wear full jeans and clod-hoppers in the barn."

Lauren's door slammed closed behind her and I shook my head at my oblivious husband. "Edward, she's still trying to entice you." He looked at me as if I'd lost my mind, so I continued as I hopped up on the stall wall. "Seriously, her breasts were all but falling out, her shorts were indecently short, and she had on high heels. She's trying to be alluring."

"She's trying all right," he said sarcastically. He'd put on a shoulder length glove and picked up a vial of bull semen. Shaking it at me he started to rant. "If we have any daughters and they try that I'm gonna…"

"Shake bull semen at them?" I guessed, leaning back. Seriously, there were some things I really didn't want all over me. "Shouldn't you be careful with that? Lauren paid good money for it."

"We need to find someone to inseminate her," he mumbled before sticking his entire arm up the backside of the cow. She lowed in complaint. I felt bad for her; if he'd been that rough with me I'd have kicked him.

"I'm pretty sure that's what she's after with you," I teased, getting a firm glare. As he pulled his arm out of the poor cow his look changed to something I knew I needed to run away from if I planned on retaining any of my dignity. "Edward…" I warned, twisting to slide off the wall on the other side. The safe side.

Slapping the cow on her flank to move her, Edward sidled out of the stall while stripping off the glove. "I'm pretty sure I'm interested in inseminating more than this cow," he leered, wagging his eyebrows in a poor imitation of Emmett's.

Not wanting to be cornered I darted out of the neighboring stall and started to back out of the barn. "What is it with you and barns?" I laughed, trying to focus on staying at least five feet from my husband, and not running into any animals or their deposits. My hands were up in front of me as if I had a hope of wrestling him down if he attacked.

Edward's hands were up as well, but they were unbuttoning his shirt. "You had fun the last time," he taunted. It was impossible to not lick my lips at the memory of a few days ago, not to mention the sight of his exposed chest.

"It was our barn," I huffed back, having to sidestep a rather large cow pie, allowing him to gain some ground. "This is Lauren's. She could sue us for public indecency." He was getting closer. His long legs carried him forward step by step, all while pulling his now unbuttoned shirt from his jeans that were riding, oh, so low.

"I'll leave on the hat," he teased, reminding me again of what we'd done in the loft. "Lauren will never know." I was out the door now and with a wink turned and made a run for the truck.

Laughter is a serious impediment to running.

His hands grabbed me around my waist, making me scream out. In an instant I was backed up against the truck, pinned beneath his body, with him smiling smugly over me. "I win," he crowed before bending his head and attacking my neck, making me call out again. "I'm pretty sure I'm ready for my prize now." His hips thrust up, making it very clear what he considered his prize to be.

"Edward? Bella?" Lauren called from the house. "Are you guys all right? I heard Bella scream." The sound of her heels clacking on the concrete of her walk made us both freeze.

With a roll of his eyes Edward backed off from me. "She's fine," he replied, faking a grin. Mine was easier since what I was having trouble with was not snickering. "She just slipped and I had to grab her." My hand slipped down and I grabbed him when he said that, making him jump.

Lauren's eyes narrowed, then rolled. "I was actually concerned and you two are playing around!" Shaking her head in mock solemnity she added, "You two seriously need a cold shower. Go find your own!" With a chuckle and wave she turned back to her house.

Edward was back against me in a second. "I like the shower idea," he crooned, placing a kiss on the corner of my mouth.

"Well, you definitely need one, but there won't be any sex," I murmured back. That made him pull up quick.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Infertility doctor in two hours, Edward. No way am I going in there and getting examined after just having sex!" Naturally, he began to chuckle.

"Bella," he said around his laughter, "he knows we're having sex. Why else would we be going to him to try to get pregnant?"

"Not gonna happen," I said, although he was already starting in on his sex voodoo, so I wasn't sure how long I could hold out.

"Get in the truck, Bella," he said firmly, his eyes burning.

I complied and he raced us home. As soon as he stopped the vehicle I was out like a shot, racing for the back door, Edward hot on my heels. I tried to make it into the office and shut the door, but he was too close. A squeal escaped my throat when he grabbed around the waist again, this time landing on the couch. "Fine," he said, laughing over me again. "But when we get back? You better report to that bed, ma'am."

"My pleasure," I told him, reaching up to kiss his chin.

"Oh, it will be," he replied. Then his lips were too busy for speaking.

* * *

A little play time before things get serious.


	85. Chapter 85 Stall

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Stall

* * *

I was fidgeting. My fingers flew through all the magazines they could reach, my eyes not really paying attention to anything on the pages. One foot was tapping out a dance intermixed with me sighing and shifting in my seat. Meanwhile Edward had his hat tipped over his eyes and was taking a nap. Or at least I thought he was until his hand shot out and grabbed my knee, effectively stopping the foot.

"Relax, darling," he whispered, tipping his hat back so he could take a look at me. "The doctor is just gonna take a look and run some tests."

"Easy for you to say, you aren't the one with your feet in the stirrups," I grumped back.

He chuckled and leaned in close. "No, but the thought of you like that does give me ideas," he chuckled warmly before pressing his lips to mine. It was a soft kiss, full of comfort instead of passion, but it was just what I needed to calm my racing nerves. It worked until the nurse called my name.

Edward stood quickly and reached back to take my hand. Unfortunately, I was glued to the seat. "Coming?" he asked.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I said. Sure enough, the sound of her calling my name was enough for my entire bladder to want to empty into my urethra.

"You're just trying to stall," he accused me. Grabbing my hand he yanked me up, shaking his head at my squeak.

"I've really gotta go," I hissed as we walked up to the smiling nurse.

She heard me. "Good, because we need a specimen." There was a cup in her hand with my name on it. "The bathroom is right around the corner, we can take your other vitals when you're done." She was far too chipper to be handing out cups for people to urinate into, in my opinion.

Still, I took the cup and headed into the bathroom. Going into these things is really horrible. Men had it so much easier, just aim and go. Women have to do gymnastics, it's simply not fair. So it was with much annoyance that I handed over the cup when I was done. The nurse who took it was smart and wore gloves. Don't know why they couldn't supply us with some of those.

Nurse Happy ushered me over to the workstation where vitals were taken. My blood pressure was a bit elevated and the nurse had to ask Edward to quit touching my face to make my pulse calm down. We were ushered into an examination room and proceeded to wait. And wait. Edward actually began to snore lightly, the man could fall asleep anywhere, and even I started to drift before the door opened.

"Sorry, had a procedure go longer than expected," the doctor said as he walked into the room. "I'm Doctor Taylor, and you are Isabella and Edward?"

"Bella," I corrected him, shaking his hand. Edward gave him a nod, which was returned.

"Well, Bella, I like to dive right in," he said calmly. His voice was soothing; it was obvious he was used to dealing with nervous women. "You've sent me all your history, so why don't you disrobe from the waist down and hop up on the table? We're going to do a general exam, then an ultrasound to look for any issues, basically anything that's easily seen since that covers most problems. All right?" I gave him a nod and he flitted back out of the door.

"Need help?" Edward asked as I started to take off my clothes. I just rolled my eyes at him and reminded myself that he was still related to Emmett and it was best to just ignore him. Draping the little sheet over my lap I let out another huff. My nerves were stretched tight, evidenced by the return of the bouncing foot.

Edward took one look at me, got up and took hold of my hand. "It's going to be fine, love," he murmured against my forehead, followed closely by a kiss. It would have relaxed me, but the doctor knocked on the door right at that moment, asking if we were ready for him.

The general exam wasn't anything unusual, but why they couldn't heat up a speculum is beyond me. Something that cold just shouldn't be put in that place. Edward's eyes got a little big when the doctor took a pap smear specimen, cringing at the same time. I had to laugh at him, and the doctor joined in. "Most men don't know what you women deal with," he said knowingly.

"Everything looks good here," he continued, pulling out the freezing cold speculum. "I'll start the ultrasound now." He pulled over a large machine, put gel on my stomach and turned off the lights. Time seemed to drag as he looked things over, even though he was telling me what he was looking at. "You have some small cysts on your ovaries, nothing to worry about. No endometriosis, it seems. Hmm…"

"Hmm?" Edward and I asked at the same time.

"Your uterine lining is a bit thick; your periods are regular?"

"Fairly regular," I answered.

"Heavy or light?"

"It varies, why?"

"Let me check something else," he replied, indicating he wanted all the information before answering my question. "Clean off the gel, we need to do a vaginal ultrasound."

"Vaginal?" I repeated. He nodded and pulled out a huge wand. Edward and I both watched in shock as he slipped a condom over it.

"This will be a bit uncomfortable," he apologized before putting it inside me. 'A bit' was a bit of an understatement! Edward squeezed my hand, wincing as he watched the doctor rotate the wand inside of me. It was silent in the room, except for the noise of the machine. Finally, what seemed an eternity later, he removed the wand and turned off the machine. "You can get dressed, I'll be back in a moment," he instructed as he left, turning the lights back on as he exited.

Fear gripped my heart. What had he found? Was there actually something wrong with me? Edward tried to distract me, placing kisses on my hand, forehead and lips, but he could tell I wasn't to be sidetracked. His arms were around me and my head was on his shoulder when the doctor returned.

"Bella," Doctor Taylor started as he sat on his little stool. His voice sounded almost sad. "You have endometrial hyperplasia and fibroid tumors beside the cysts on your ovaries. Any one of these can make it hard to conceive. All three together? Well, we can try, and the odds are fairly good."

"What do we need to do?" Edward asked, voicing my own concerns.

"First, we need to test your semen, Edward, just to make sure your levels are high enough as well. We also need to schedule surgery for Bella to remove the excess lining and fibroids. We'll also put her on medications to help with all of this and probably watch her ovulate to see if the ova are being released."

We both just stared at him. My mind fixated on just one word. "Surgery?"

* * *

Vaginal ultrasounds are modern torture.

Sorry this is late, fanfiction wouldn't upload the document yesterday. It's also not allowing me to reply to reviews, so I apologize you haven't heard back from me! As soon as it starts to work again I'll get to them, I promise. I love reading all your comments, so please send them anyway! xoxo!


	86. Chapter 86 Ardent

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Ardent, prudent, student

* * *

A few weeks later I found myself entering the hospital under my own power so someone could cut into me. The doctor assured me everything could be done vaginally, but for some reason that wasn't all that reassuring. As I lay on the gurney they would use to wheel me into the operating room, I remembered the conversation that had continued in his office.

"This is a routine procedure, Bella," he had told me, trying to be reassuring. "It's something that even student doctors perform on rotations because it's quite simple." Seeing the look on my face he quickly added, "I'll be performing it, I don't have an intern. Besides, in your case it wouldn't be prudent."

"Um, doc?" Edward interjected. "Why wouldn't it be prudent if it's simple?"

"Because there's no telling how deep the fibroids are. If they go through the uterine wall, then that could be more difficult. Some of them are fairly large, and it's not something I would ask an intern to do." Yep, I felt so much better now.

"Now, you need to be aware that there can be no sex for at least two weeks following the procedure." Doctor Taylor was looking at Edward pointedly when he said that, but it was me who gasped.

"No sex for two weeks? Why not?" Wasn't it bad enough that I had to be cut into, and now he's throwing no sex into the mix?

The good doctor chuckled and looked at me. "It will cause your uterus to cramp and you might bleed more." Then he fixed me with the same look he'd given Edward. "There can't be any sexual contact, even touching. Anything that even slightly gets you aroused needs to be avoided.

I was in shock. That was my excuse anyway. Why else would I say what I did? Turning to Edward I spouted out, "I guess you're moving back in with your parents for two weeks then. Maybe you should send Emmett over to take care of me."

Edward burst out laughing, his musical tenor joined in a nice harmony by the doctor's baritone chuckle. "Oh…Bella…" he said between snorts, "can I please tell him you said that?"

Emmett hadn't been nearly as amused as Edward, although Jasper had found it quite hilarious as well. I couldn't keep from chuckling once I realized I had horribly maligned my brother-in-law's sexiness. From that point on he would flex whenever he saw me, sending me into giggles. After a while I realized he was doing it whenever I felt stressed.

Edward spent the next weeks storing up as much sex as he could. If that didn't get me pregnant, then I definitely needed the surgery. Even now as I lay on the gurney he was giving me ardent kisses to distract me from the coming event.

"Get it out of your system now," Doctor Taylor said as he walked into the room, "because it's the last you're getting for a while."

Edward turned to him with a smirk. "That was the general idea."

"Ready, Bella?" the doctor asked me.

"Not in the least, let's go." Edward gave me another quick kiss on my forehead then stepped aside so they could wheel me away.

The anesthesiologist met us in the hallway and hooked another line to the IV currently in my arm. "How are you?" he asked, but I never got to answer.

The blackness slowly bled away. A beeping sound reached down into the well my mind was submerged in. Warmth surrounded my hand, squeezing lightly. The sound of Edward's voice called to me, speaking my name in time to the warmth squeezing my hand.

"Edward?" I called, my voice sounding strange in my head.

"Here, love," he whispered, his lips against my forehead. "It's time to wake up." He placed kisses on my eyes, helping me locate them through the fog in my brain.

I blinked in the light, waiting for my eyes to adjust to even the muted glow in the room. Realizing that my husband was the one squeezing my hand, and putting together the idea that he was probably on that side of my body, I turned my face toward him. His smile was glorious and free of any visible signs of stress. "Did everything come out all right?" I asked, making him chuckle.

"Yes," he told me. There was more, I could see it dancing in his eyes.

"What?"

"Doctor Taylor said everything looks good. That you should be able to conceive in just a couple months except for one little problem." I lifted my eyebrow, questioning him, waiting for the rest. "He did a test. It seems you're allergic to my sperm."

* * *

I know, it's short. I also am aware that this is one more thing for them to deal with. It amazes me, what with all the teenage pregnancy, how much can go wrong and doesn't.

Still can't reply to reviews, sorry! Do know that I read and love them, and all of you. XOXO!


	87. Chapter 87 Obstacle

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Obstacle

* * *

Emmett wouldn't stop laughing. In his defense, the rest of the family had also laughed. He was just louder about it and didn't stop. It had been a month since my surgery and every time he looked at us he would begin to shake, trying to keep it inside, but as soon as we rolled our eyes he would lose it again.

"Must you?" I asked for the thousandth time.

"Oh, come on Bella. You know it's funny. You're allergic to my brother. Kind of ironic, don't you think?" he taunted.

"And the irony is?" I asked, not sure if I really wanted to hear the answer.

"The way you two waited until you were married to have sex, when there was no point," he said, shaking his head. "You could have done whatever you wanted, no consequences."

"There's more reasons than just procreation for waiting until after you're married, Emmett," Edward cut in as he walked into the room.

"Right, right," Emmett groaned, rolling his eyes. "Love, respect, consideration, yadda, yadda, yadda."

"Exactly," Edward replied, placing his arms around me and placing a kiss on my cheek. "Hey darling," he drawled, his lips trailing over to my ear. "Please tell me that idiot hasn't been bugging you all afternoon."

"Not all," I said breathily, turning my head for a real kiss.

"Hey, I'm still here!" Emmett complained. A retort came to my mind, but since we were in their parent's house, I bit my tongue.

It was Esme's turn to host the monthly family dinner, and she and Rosalie were in the kitchen. I had been told to go sit down, since it was our turn for dish duty. Emmett had joined me while we waited for Edward to get off work and Alice and Jasper to show up with dessert.

"So, what you two planning to do next?" Emmett asked. "You had the surgery, have you figured out the next obstacle?"

"We've thought about artificial insemination," Edward said, "but it's expensive."

"Hey guys!" Alice chirped as she danced into the room, squeezing in on my other side on the couch. "Why would you have that done?" she asked after placing a kiss on my cheek. Jasper just quietly took a seat in the chair next to his wife.

"Um, to get past the problem of her allergy?" Edward quipped, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"It's not like you don't do insemination all the time Edward," she replied huffily. "I know the reason for doing it, just not why you would go somewhere else."

"I do it on cows, Alice," he said, trying to be patient.

"Not a whole lot of difference," Emmett chimed in.

"Hey!" I complained, but he quieted me.

"Don't get your undies in a bundle, you know what I mean." He leaned forward, his eyebrows drawing together as he thought about the problem. "I mean, granted he can't stick his whole hand up there, can he?"

Edward threw a pillow at him. Catching it with a laugh he shook his head. "You know what I mean, we just have to get past, um, you know, right?"

"Her vagina?" Alice quipped with a small giggle.

"Yeah, that," Emmett said. A hint of a blush was warming his face.

"We'd also need to put her upside-down, or at least tilt her so her head is lower. Gravity would help draw everything in," Alice mused. I just buried my face in my hands.

"But how to get it inside her?" Edward asked. He sounded clinical, not at all embarrassed.

"A turkey baster would work," Jasper offered. "It's long enough."

"I can't believe we're having this conversation," I groaned. My face felt like I'd been standing in front of a blast furnace.

"You'd need to collect a, um, specimen," Rosalie said, walking into the room. She obviously had heard our conversation.

"Edward shouldn't have any trouble with that," Emmett chuckled. "He gets them from bulls, he should know how to handle his own."

"You can help me," Edward whispered into my ear, but not quietly enough.

"Not a good idea, bro. Who knows what else her touch may attack?" Emmett burst out, almost choking on his own laughter.

"Kill me now," I muttered, burying my head into my husband's shoulder.

"That's not conducive to getting pregnant," Alice said, pulling me back upright. "So, let's plan this. I have a turkey baster, I'll run it through the dishwasher to be sure it's clean. Edward can collect some semen and freeze it. You're tracking your temperature, right? So you know when you're going to be ovulating, when will that be?"

"Next week," Edward cut in. I was now gaping, they both looked excited.

"Alice and I can hold Bella's feet up if she stands on her head, that way gravity can work in her favor," Rosalie suggested.

"Oh, very good," Alice said, nodding.

"No, not good!" I said loudly, almost shouting, but I may as well have whispered for all the attention they paid me.

They all whipped out their phones as if on cue. "I'm good for next Friday," Alice started. Everyone else in the circle agreed while I moved from gaping at them all to glaring.

"Does anyone care what I think about this?" I asked angrily.

"No," came the reply in unison.

"Dinner!" Esme called from the kitchen, and Edward's family shot up from their seats in the living room to take their places at the table. I just sat there, arms crossed over my chest, shaking my head with my hands clenched so tightly I was sure my fingernails were cutting into my palms.

"You don't have to do this," Edward said beside me. "We can do it at the doctor's office. Of course, it'll cost a lot more, but we can afford it."

And with that he gave the one argument he knew I would cave to. "You're not fighting fair," I grumped.

"No, but only because this sounds like fun. I'm sure it'll be far more entertaining than Lauren's cows." As soon as he said that I remembered how he had shoved almost his entire arm up the poor animal's body. Seeing my look of fear he leaned in to kiss my forehead. "Don't worry, darling, I'll be much gentler with you."

* * *

I probably should have included more of Bella's reaction in this, but I was too busy laughing at the conversation. Have a great day!


	88. Chapter 88 Gentle

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Gentle

* * *

Alice had cleaned her turkey baster and purchased a plethora of those little sticks you urinate on to predict when you're ovulating. "Are you sure this is cheaper?" I 'd asked, looking at how many she'd bought.

"Of course, it doesn't always work the first time." She was smug and excited, far more so than she should be considering what she was planning to do. "Besides, they were on sale. Now, go pee on the stick." It's amazing just how pushy one little person could be.

Edward had saved up 'specimens' and was currently getting ready to thaw them. I must admit that helping him collect samples had been amusing and fun. While I enjoyed myself, he complained. "It's better when I'm inside you," he'd griped.

"Be glad I'm here at all," I'd retorted. "You could just be doing this alone, you know."

"I know," he said with a grin, "but having you naked beside me definitely helps with the process." Even while arguing I agreed with him. There was no way this was going to be as much fun.

And as lacking in fun as it was for Edward, I knew I was about to have a much worse time of it.

"I don't hear any peeing!" Alice called from the other side of the door. "Quit stalling woman, we need to be sure you're ovulating before we do this."

Nope, no fun at all.

Still, I did as she commanded, carefully laying the stick aside on a paper cup while I washed my hands. I was quite thorough, my nerves were through the roof and I wanted to watch the results on my own. The timid knock on the door couldn't be Alice's, and the voice that followed was the only one I would open up to.

"What does it say?" Edward asked. "Are we doing this today?" He came in and wrapped his arms around me as he asked, effectively shutting the door in Alice's face. She huffed in exasperation, but neither of us cared.

I picked up the stick and looked at it with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Edward spun me around, lifting slightly so that I was sitting mostly on the edge of the sink. "We can try it the old fashioned way one more time if you like," he murmured against my lips, his hands keeping me from falling into the sink.

"It hasn't worked," I reminded him, gripping his shoulders for dear life. The sink was still wet from me washing my hands and I didn't want to walk out with a wet behind.

"We still need to get your undies off, can I do that?" He didn't give me time to answer, just reached up under my skirt and grabbed the tops of them to start pulling them down. I pushed back on him so I could hop down, making it easier for him to remove them. He seemed to think it would be a good idea to place kisses on my feet as he slipped the now extraneous material off my body, but that only made me wish he would kiss a little higher.

I could hear Rose calling up the stairs, wondering if we were going to do this or not, so pushed my skirt down between Edward and my body. "I get the feeling they aren't going to have much patience with us fooling around."

Sure enough, a tiny fist started to bang on the door. "I know you've had enough time to look at the stick and if you think I'm going to stand out here all evening while you two fool around in the bathroom you can think…oh, hey!" Edward had opened the door while she was ranting, effectively cutting her off.

"Just giving her a pep talk," he told his sister, getting a 'is that what you call it now?' mumbled in return.

When we reached the living room I went into shock. Rosalie had moved the couch back so that it formed a triangle with the coffee table. Wedged into the apex was a huge yoga ball, with towels wrapped around the base to keep it from rolling.

"I thought this would be more comfortable than a headstand," Rosalie indicated. "There are bricks behind the couch and table to keep them from moving, so all you have to do is sit on the ball, fall back, let Alice and me catch your legs and then Edward will inject the, um, specimen."

I just shook my head. "How am I going to get onto the ball without my skirt getting in the way?"

Rosalie just rolled her eyes. "Take it off. We're going to see everything anyway."

"The doctor lets me stay covered," I grumbled.

"Trust me, he sees everything too. Now we're all either girls or married to you, so you don't have anything we haven't seen before…"

"You haven't seen mine," I interrupted.

Rosalie ignored me. "So just whip off the skirt, sit on the ball and let us slide you back."

"Fine." With a little help I managed to straddle the ball, completely bare from the waist down. Surely fifty-thousand dollars wasn't that much money, was it? I was convinced it wasn't when I slipped backwards, Rosalie's nails cut into my left leg when she grabbed it and my right slid out of Alice's grasp. My head made hard contact with the floor. "OW!"

"Sorry!" chorused around me as Edward handed my right leg back to Alice. I could feel the ball moving, along with the couch, and eyed Edward as he came at me with the turkey baster.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle," he said with a smile.

"Please tell me you warmed that up," I pleaded as the girls pulled my legs further apart. Nope, fifty-thousand sounded down-right cheap at the moment.

"Not really, we don't want to kill the sperm," he told me. "A little wider ladies," he said to the girls. I just groaned and lost whatever dignity I had ever thought I maintained.

Feeling the baster go inside me was much weirder than a speculum. And it was still cool, but not nearly as cold, thankfully. I was also glad he had thought to put some K-Y Jelly on it to make it easier.

But, if that had felt weird, it was nothing like when he actually squeezed the bulb. I could feel the liquid shoot inside me, causing me to gasp. It was like having a blast of ice water shot into your uterus.

"Are you all right?" Edward asked, quite concerned.

"Yes, just, um, it feels really strange." The girls chuckled, but put my legs back together. Alice was thoughtful enough to throw a blanket over the bottom half of my body which was still on top of the ball.

"I'm sure," Edward said, "the cows don't seem to like it too much."

"I thought that was because you had your hand up inside them," I complained, "not because it was cold."

"I'm sure they notice the cold as well. Will you be all right to stay like this for, oh, twenty minutes?" I glared at him. "I know," he commiserated, "but it works better if you keep things elevated."

"Can I at least have a pillow for my head?" They just laughed.

* * *

Sorry! I've been busy so haven't been writing these as much. Thanks to MaraBenefici for the idea of the yoga ball! And for all you wondering, the idea of the turkey baster came from a news report

Best joke about the predicted rapture (be prepared to groan painfully) - The dinosaurs were all called back to the Lord during the Velocirapture.

Whether the rapture comes or not, I'm fairly sure I'll be here on Monday. Have a great weekend! xoxo!


	89. Chapter 89 Cloak

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Cloak

* * *

It was two weeks from the time that my sisters-in-law had me by the ankles that I was sneaking into the bathroom under the cloak of darkness. Surely this had worked and I was now pregnant, right? I made sure to drink what seemed to be a gallon of water before going to bed last night, which naturally resulted in me having to get up at least five times during the night to use the potty. I decided it was good practice for when I actually had a baby; either that or old age. Both could be true.

Alice had purchased at least as many pregnancy test sticks as she had ovulation test strips. As a result there were a plethora of them under the sink. I simply reached in for one blindly, grabbed a box, ripped open the package and contorted myself over the toilet so I could urinate on the little stick. Preferably without getting it all over my hands.

Sadly, that wasn't meant to be. No sooner had my bladder begun to empty than the light switch was flipped on, startling me. "Argh!" I shouted, jumping up, forgetting I was still in need of a toilet underneath me. As soon as I felt liquid on my leg, though, I fell back onto the toilet and glared at my now laughing husband.

"Not funny," I grumped at him, thrusting the little stick back into my urine stream.

"If there had been a mirror even you would have been laughing at the look on your face." I rolled my eyes at him. "That's not going to be positive, you know," he told me, his face looking concerned.

"You don't think it worked?" I asked, looking up sharply.

He shook his head. "Not what I meant, it might have worked and it might not. What won't work is testing to see if you're pregnant yet. Those look for a certain hormone, and even if you are pregnant, you aren't far enough along to have it in high enough concentration to be measurable."

Sometimes I hated being married to a doctor, even if he went to veterinarian school.

With a sigh I set it on the edge of a disposable cup, cleaned myself up and set a timer. "Just in case," I murmured. He wrapped his arms around me, his front to my back, as we watched the timer tick down five minutes. Longest five minutes of my life.

When the timer dinged I didn't pick up the stick. "Are you going to look?" Edward asked from behind me.

"What if it's negative?" I whispered.

"Then it doesn't mean anything and you wait for a couple more weeks before testing again. If your period comes it doesn't mean anything either, because it's common to still spot some when newly pregnant." He sounded like he was reciting a medical journal.

"Did you do research on this?"

"Are you going to pick up the stick?" was his reply. I smiled, he probably googled it.

Taking a deep breath I picked up the little stick. I had no idea what I was supposed to be seeing. I held it up so we could both stare at it for a minute. "What's positive?" I finally asked him.

"What did the box say?" he asked back. I shrugged and could feel his frustration as he let go of me and looked around for where the box fell when I tossed it. Picking it up he looked at the back. His eyebrows furrowed and he read it again. "Can I have the stick please?" he asked, reaching out for it. I placed it in his hand and he looked carefully, then back at the box.

"Well?" I demanded, hands on hips, fear gripping my heart. What would I do if I were pregnant? What would I do if I weren't? I tried to remember that a negative result didn't necessarily mean anything, yet, but my tight chest informed me that I was holding my breath anyway.

If the five minutes it took the timer seemed long, it was nothing in comparison to this wait. The corners of his mouth flickered up, then down. "Remember, this isn't conclusive," he said. My shoulders dropped and what little air there was in my lungs rushed out in a huff of disappointment.

Then he smiled. It wasn't his 'come hither' smile, or his teasing smile. It was closer to the smile he had when I said yes to his proposal and later when I said "I do" at the altar. Even those didn't match the brilliance of the glow that now was on his face. I was shocked to see a tear glisten in the corner of his eye when he said to me, "I think we're pregnant."

* * *

Sorry so short, but at least it's good news! Fanfiction still won't let me do review replies, which means if you don't have private messaging turned on, I can't answer your reviews. Please leave them regardless. I love to read them.

Happy Monday everyone!


	90. Chapter 90 Poetry

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Poetry

* * *

Once again Edward and I were back at the doctor's office, only this time we were much more hopeful. He'd made us wait until I'd missed a period, I hadn't but it was very light, then said that if we wanted to we could come in anyway. I took the soonest appointment available.

In the meantime I'd used up every pregnancy test Alice had purchased. It was a really bad idea, since some came back negative and others positive. I'd actually read each box this time to be sure. Hence my nerves as we were waiting were enough to cripple me. I was hyperventilating enough that Edward had started carrying around a paper bag.

"Breathe, Bella," he told me again, handing me the bag as we waited.

"Hoping you are or hoping you're not?" a woman with a distended belly seated next to me asked.

"Hoping we are," I managed to wheeze out. Edward just calmly rubbed my hand and kissed my temple. How he wasn't going crazy was beyond me.

"Good luck," she said, rising cumbersomely since her name was called.

"Am I going to be like that?" I asked, watching her waddle through the door the nurse was holding open.

"Something like that," he said with a chuckle. "That will be interesting, seeing as how you're already incredibly graceful." I elbowed him hard enough to make him grunt and grabbed a magazine.

Finally it was our turn and I was handed the ubiquitous cup to urinate into. What is it with doctors wanting all this urine? Still, I headed to the bathroom while Edward waited for me, placed the little cup – I swear they're getting smaller – on the sample tray, and followed the nurse to the exam room.

Sometimes I wonder why they send you back to those rooms. Is it so the waiting room doesn't look as full? Why not just have a larger waiting room and keep us all together and have fewer rooms. It's not like the doctor can be more than one place at a time. When I pointed this out to Edward he just said it helped to keep down the spread of disease between patients and asked why I was grumpy and picking on the doctor's office.

"Is distraction going to be necessary?" he asked, giving me that look that sent my pulse racing.

"Not here, it's not," I said emphatically. "There is no way you're going to let them catch me with my pants down."

"I'm pretty sure they're going to be down while we're here eventually, we could just get started on that for them," he crooned, his fingers making trails of goosebumps on my arm. Naturally that was when the nurse knocked on the door to take my vitals. Not surprisingly my blood pressure was a little elevated. I stuck out my tongue at Edward when he chuckled over that. The nurse rolled her eyes.

"The doctor is looking at the results of your urine test and will be back in just a few minutes," she threatened, giving Edward a glaring look. He gave her his signature innocent, 'who me?' look in response, prompting another eye roll before leaving the room.

Edward knew it would be longer than just a few minutes, but decided to behave himself anyway. His fingers flitted through the selection of magazines, most of them having to do with pregnancy and motherhood, until he came upon a small book. "Want me to read you poetry?" he asked. "That might calm your nerves." I doubted it, but shrugged. It's not like I would let him do what he was planning before.

"This is by Carl Sandburg, it should be good," he said before holding the book out in order to recite in a dramatic style.

_"Baby vamps, is it harder work than it used to be?_  
_Are the new soda parlors worse than the old time saloons?_  
_Baby vamps, do you have jobs in the day time or is this all you do? do you come out only at night?_  
_In the winter at the skating rinks, in the summer at the roller coaster parks,_  
_Wherever figure eights are carved, by skates in winter, by roller coasters in summer,_  
_Wherever the whirligigs are going and chicken spanish and hot dog are sold,_  
_There you come, giggling baby vamp, there you come with your blue baby eyes, saying:_

_Take me along._

"Gee, I hope we aren't having a baby vampire," he said, his face twisted up in confusion. "How do you get baby vampires anyway?"

Thankfully I didn't have to answer him, the doctor walked in with a smile and I was far more interested in what he had to say. "Congratulations," was all he got out before I was jumping up from my chair and running over to jump in Edward's lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Did you hear him? I'm pregnant!" I cried. Edward gave me a kiss on my cheek and lovingly pointed out that actually all the doctor had said was congratulations and it might be good to let him finish.

The good doctor laughed. "Your assumption was correct, Bella. You are pregnant."

* * *

Sorry about the baby vampires poem, I just couldn't resist! LOL!


	91. Chapter 91 Image

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Image

* * *

"Wanna see the baby?" the doctor asked. What a silly question. Do you ask a man crawling through the desert if he'd like a glass of water? No, you just hand it to him. Needless to say I was on the table with my shirt up and pants down so fast it took him a minute to come out of shock.

Before he squeezed any gel on my belly though, he checked Edward's arm to make sure it wasn't dislocated. I had forgotten to let go of his hand when I jumped for the table. Neither one was amused when I asked if the doctor was certified to work above the waist on a guy.

Finally, though, he found our baby, pointing it out on the image on the screen. It was more like a dot, really. I smacked Edward when he pointed out that it looked like a lima bean and that he didn't really care for those. "Is it healthy?" I asked quietly.

"Too soon to tell," the doctor replied. "I can tell you that the placenta seems to be in a good place, no previa worries. Hmm." He trailed off at the end, moving the wand around. I was about to complain that he was squishing my baby when Edward let out a gasp.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked, sitting up to get a better look which actually had the opposite effect.

"I wouldn't call it _wrong_," the doctor mused.

"More like we need to buy an extra crib?" Edward asked, sounding awed and getting a nod in return.

Twins. I was having twins. Two little people. At the same time. Growing quickly. I would need two of everything. I'd wanted one. One I thought I could handle. I'm having two.

"Bella?" I heard Edward call from a really long way away. Funny, I didn't realize he had left the room. "Bella?" he voice came again, accompanied by his hand on my shoulder which was strange because his arms weren't _that_ long, "You need to calm down, darling."

"Twins," I said, panting out the word and pointing to the screen where now both dots could be seen.

"Yes, we're having twins," Edward said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

"There's two of them," I told him breathily since breathing was still difficult. "Two. Ba_bies_. Two."

"That's what makes them twins, love," he told me, laughing lightly in my ear. I could feel the air moving. "You really do need to calm down."

"I have a paper bag," the doctor stated, waving it in front of me and blocking my view of the dots on the screen. I grabbed the bag and put it over my mouth and stared at my white dots. The doctor continued to say something, but I ignored him. There were two dots there that were far more interesting.

Eventually something broke through my stupor. It had to, the doctor took the wand away and my dots disappeared. He managed to retain his right to live, though, because Edward had a picture in his hands.

After all the goo was cleaned up and I was redressed a series of appointments were made for me. Edward asked them to be when he could make it as well, which took some finessing. It was a good thing I wasn't trying to be involved or we'd all be back here tomorrow to take another picture. And the day after that. It seemed I was going to be one of those kinds of mothers.

Edward glanced at me from time to time as we drove home. He seemed nervous. I just stared straight ahead, my hands on my lower stomach, holding the babies.

"Are you all right?" he asked timidly.

I turned to him and smiled. "We're having twins."

"Yes, I know. I was there." His crooked grin let me know he was teasing.

"All that stress and now we're having two." I just shook my head. "I wonder if only Alice or Rosalie were there if we'd only have one."

Edward snorted he laughed so hard. "I doubt that had anything to do with it. You just either had two ovulations or the cells split. Based on where the placentas are attached, I'm going with the fact that they're fraternal." He paused a moment. We were coming up on the turnoff for our house. "Do you want to go home and call your parents or go to my parent's house and tell them first?"

I thought for a minute. There would be no way to keep the news from them, they all knew what we'd done in trying to get pregnant. Edward was now stopped at the turn, waiting for my answer.

"You're parents. We can get mine on the phone and tell them all at once."

He smiled, nodded, and pulled out his phone. "You call your dad, I'll call your mom. Let's hit send right as we walking into my parents so no one hears first or guesses."

"Good plan, except, why are you calling my mom?"

"No guy wants to tell a man he knocked up his little girl, Bella. Doesn't matter if we're married and trying," he said with a laugh.

"Right," I said, suddenly nervous. My mom was going to freak out. Granted she did for most things, but this would send her flying.

We did as Edward suggested, hitting send as we opened the front door. Charlie answered right away. Edward had to call Renee three times, which was normal. By then Esme and Carlisle were looking at us funny and Alice was bouncing next to Jasper. Emmett complained because Rosalie turned off the game.

"We're pregn…" Edward started, the rest was drowned out in screams from Edward's phone and family. I think I heard my dad's breath catch over Alice dancing around the room crying 'It worked! It worked! It worked!'

It took a few minutes for everyone to calm down. Questions of how I was feeling and if we were going to wait to find out the sex were shouted out. Edward waited until someone asked what sex we were hoping for to reveal our little secret. "Both," he told my mother. His answer was followed by complete silence.

Then Carlisle began to chuckle. "Twins?" was all he said, and the room broke out into pandemonium once more.

* * *

I hope everyone in the US enjoyed a day off yesterday. We got over 1.5" of rain during the weekend. In a place that only averages 16" per year, that's quite a bit. Heck of a way to run a desert, if you ask me.


	92. Chapter 92 Honey

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Honey

* * *

"Bella, darlin', I really don't think honey and pickles are meant to be eaten together that way," Edward says, grimacing as I dip my dill pickle into a cup of the sweet nectar. I swirl it with a flourish, wanting the dilly goodness coated with lots of sugar before I pop it into my mouth and take a bite. My husband just shudders and looks away.

"What?" I ask around a mouthful of pickle. "How is this different than a sweet and sour candy?"

Emmett is grossed out as well. "Because what you're doing is just wrong."

"Like you have a clue about what's right and wrong when you're pregnant," Rosalie says with a laugh. "My thing was spicy and salty," she says, turning to me. "I would dip jalapeño's in table salt. They tasted great, but were murder on my blood pressure."

"It was sweet and salty for me," Alice adds, and I see Jasper give a little shudder behind her. "I liked ice cream and crackers, or caramel sauce and tortillas, really anything like that."

I was currently three months along. The morning sickness was behind me, only to be replaced by strange food cravings. Edward had taken to stocking the house after being sent on one too many food runs in the middle of the night. Today was our turn to host the family dinner, and we were all relaxing after eating ourselves silly. Only, I couldn't seem to stop eating.

"I'm going to be as big as a cow if I don't stop this," I grumbled right before taking another bite of sweetened pickle.

"You'll be as big as a house anyway," Emmett said with a laugh, only to have Esme smack him.

"How many times have I told you to not call a pregnant woman big?" she said as he rubbed his arm.

"Oh, come on mom, little Bella? She's gonna be huge! One baby is bad enough, but she's not even that far along and looks like she swallowed a beach ball," he complained, trying to defend himself.

Sadly, he was right. I did look like I'd swallowed a beach ball. With two of them growing inside of me I was twice as big as normal by this time. I'd already said my goodbyes to my feet and hello to muu-muus, knit pants, and fitted shirts. Well, then again, now all shirts were going to be fitted.

"I think she looks beautiful," Edward said, placing a kiss on my forehead as he rubs my expanding belly.

"We'll see if you still think that in another few months when I outweigh you," I huffed, setting aside the pickle combo. It wasn't tasting as good now. In fact, looking at it was making me slightly ill.

Rosalie grabbed the dish away. "You know, I ate so many jalapeños that even looking at them now makes me ill. You may want to take it easy with those."

"Might be too late," I replied, burping a little and feeling nauseous.

"Does that mean no more pickles and honey?" Edward asked hopefully. Naturally I swatted him. "Hey! It wasn't a weight comment, although I will say that I hope you outweigh me by then. You're supposed to put on at least fifty pounds when you're pregnant, surely more if having twins, right?" he asked, looking to his father.

"I'm a veterinarian, too, how should I know?" he replied. "I guess we could google it."

"Fifty pounds?" I asked, aghast at the thought of the diet I would have to go on.

"There's just more of you to love," Edward whispered in my ear.

"Right, like half again more. That seems a bit much. Surely I don't need to gain all that?" I looked around the room. The men shrugged, the women smiled and nodded. I slumped down in my seat. I already hated exercising and now I'd need to do a ton just to lose the baby weight.

"Don't worry about it now," Rosalie said, patting my knee. "Besides, some of it goes into places you actually won't mind it, and if you nurse you'll end up losing quite a bit."

"I'll hold the bottle," Edward offered in my ear, making me roll my eyes.

Emmett guffawed. "Trust me, bro, we've all made that offer!"

"Great, so I'm going to be as big as a house, gain tons of weight, end up with flat breasts from nursing, a flabby belly, and stretch marks. Why was I so excited about this again?" I whined.

Rosalie bent down and picked up her fussing baby from the floor. My niece quieted as soon as she was in her mother's arms, cooing in happiness at seeing her face. "Because you get two of these," Rosalie said, effectively silencing all my whining.

I reached over and touched the little girl's cheek. She looked over to me and gave me the biggest smile, melting my heart. "Remind me of that when they're teenagers, will you?" I asked. They all just smiled and nodded.

* * *

I'm happy to say I've only gained about 20 pounds since I married almost 20 years ago. What's sad about that is that I'm a viable candidate for The Biggest Loser! The line 'there's more of you to love' is one Baboo uses on me whenever I complain that my weight has a death grip on me that would rival that of a cobra around a mouse.


	93. Chapter 93 Pretend

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Pretend, defend, suspend

* * *

It was official. There was no use in denying it. No sense in pretending it wasn't true, because the evidence of it was staring me in the face. Edward insisted it didn't matter. He thought I was still beautiful, more so in fact, and judging by his level of horniness I supposed it was true as well. Either that or it was simply the pheromones I was exuding. It didn't change the simple truth before me, though.

I weighed more than my husband.

My hands wrapped around my belly and I looked down to the children I could just barely feel squirming inside. "This is your fault, you know. I've managed to keep my weight within about five pounds but you've shot that. I hope you're happy."

"If you want my opinion, you don't weigh enough," the doctor told me. Nope, I didn't want his opinion. At least not expressed in front of my husband.

"She needs to gain weight?" he asked the doctor, who thankfully shook his head.

"No, not really, she's on track. A sudden weight gain would cause her blood pressure to rise and that would be worse," he said over his shoulder as he led us to the examination room. Sitting down after directing me to the exam table and Edward to his seat he opened my chart. "I'd be happier if she weighed five pounds more, but that'll probably come in the next few weeks." He looked up at me. "You're still eating everything I suggested for your diet."

I nodded, but Edward cut in. "She doesn't follow it exactly. She eats pickles with honey." The shudder I had learned to ignore came shortly after he said that.

Thankfully the doctor came to my defense. "That's not that odd, trust me. I've heard of worse. I have a theory about those."

"Oh?" Edward prompted as the doctor came over to examine me. I was grateful his table allowed me to sit up a bit. Lying down flat hurt my back now, something I needed to ask him about. Normally I was a stomach sleeper, and having this belly was making that impossible.

Edward didn't get his answer, instead the doctor listened to my heart, lungs, and the babies. I was poked, prodded and asked a series of questions on how I felt generally. He was smiling, which I hoped meant everything was progressing along just fine.

When he was finally done he glanced at his watch, then turned to Edward. "To answer your question about my craving theories, I think it's the child, or in Bella's case, children, influencing their mother's tastes. I can't tell you how many times I've heard from mother's that the children love whatever it is they craved when pregnant."

"That's odd," I said, Edward nodding in agreement.

"Of course, it could be a chicken and egg scenario," he added. "They could love those foods because their mothers ate so much of that while pregnant. So, just in case that's the way it is, be careful about what you put in your mouth." He laughed warmly, shook our hands and let us know we were free to go.

After waddling out to the car Edward made sure to drive to a fast-food joint to get me some food, citing the doctor thought I was underweight as the reason. Personally I think he just wanted a Big Mac.

"I'm not eating that," I said to him as he pulled into the drive-thru lane.

"Why not?" he asked.

"You heard what he said. Whatever I eat the kids will probably like. I need to only eat healthy food from now on." I crossed my arms over my chest, they didn't fit around my stomach anymore. "Why don't we go to the health food store, I'm sure I can get a veggie sandwich or something." There was a Whole Foods market just around the corner.

"Bella, you hate those," he pointed out. "Are you just going to completely suspend eating anything you like just because you're worried the kids might like it too?"

"Pretty much."

He shook his head, until a smirk came on his face. "Fine, veggie sandwich it is," he said, pulling out of the lane and driving over to the store. After helping me from the car he walked with me into the store. It just smelled healthy. I marched over to the deli counter to put in my order. Nothing looked good.

"We have a Texas Caviar salad that's very popular," the overly helpful sales assistant offered.

"No peppers, I get terrible heartburn," I told her, watching her face fall. She eyed my belly knowingly.

"How about our White Bean and Spinach salad? The spinach is full of iron, and served with the acidic dressing your body will be able to process it."

I groaned. "I already produce enough gas to power a small city, beans probably wouldn't be a good idea."

"A Mediterranean Crunch salad, perhaps? It's full of nutrient dense vegetables."

"I don't like broccoli since getting pregnant," I said, growing frustrated.

"Maybe you should eat it anyway," Edward whispered with a chuckle, "since you want our kids to."

"If I eat that it'll make me sick," I said emphatically. My stomach was revolting at the very thought.

Item after item was offered up as something that would be good for my babies, but nothing struck me as even remotely appetizing. Finally the kind woman behind the counter just laughed. "Honey, you're pregnant, what sounds good right now?"

"A garlic burger with cheese and bacon, fries and a chocolate milkshake," I answered without a thought.

"Take her to the diner," she said to Edward. He didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

Before anyone goes to look up that theory on cravings, I totally made it up. There is no research on it anywhere that I'm aware of. The dishes offered by the lady at Whole Foods, though, do exist. I looked them up. They look like something I would enjoy and make my husband look at me like I'd lost my mind.


	94. Chapter 94 Refreshing

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Refreshing

* * *

"At least one of these kids likes garlic," Edward said with a chuckle as he handed me a kosher garlic dill pickle and a bowl of honey. "The other has a sweet tooth." We were going with the 'the kids influence their mother's taste buds' approach, because I used to like fresh spinach and now it made me ill. That, and I'd never been so crazy for garlic before. Granted I liked it, but this was nothing short of ridiculous. Thankfully Edward seemed to have given up being grossed out by my eating habits and now just found them amusing.

He also liked that my breasts were at least two cup sizes bigger. I found it annoying. The last thing I needed was more weight pulling me forward. The idea of labor had worried me before. Now I was starting to view it as a means to an end. No more waddling, being able to hold my bladder longer than two seconds, being able to breathe, getting rid of that shooting pain that went from the small of my back and down my leg, all the things labor would bring me. Now I was only upset it was another two months away.

At my last visit the doctor put me on bed rest. There had been a small amount of spotting, and the Braxton-hicks contractions were a little strong, making him worry. I was allowed to get up to go to the bathroom and take a small shower, but anything else was forbidden. Naturally Edward took this to mean that I had to stay in bed. I started contemplating murder if he didn't let me up by the third day.

And it was hot. The rest of the country was freezing, but for some reason Texas was having above-average temperatures. The bedroom was upstairs, and since heat rises and I was surrounded by blankets and pillows, my temperature rose with it. That could have been the reason he no longer grimaced at my diet, though.

"Can't I get up and shower? A nice cold one?" I begged.

"You showered this morning," he started, but a glare from me cut him off. "Let me call the doctor. I have an idea."

"What idea?" I called to his retreating back, but he didn't answer. Instead he pulled out his phone in the hallway, talking quietly. I watched him hang up, then look something up on his phone before making another call. The words he said were quiet enough that I couldn't make them out, but he seemed happy with the answers he was getting. Good thing, because if he didn't come in and explain things to me he wasn't going to be happy long.

Then he pulled out his credit card. That made me nervous. "What are you doing?" I called, but he just put his finger in the ear not next to the phone so he could block me out. "So help me, Edward, what are you buying now?"

He smiled and walked out of my sight just as a pillow went flying toward him. Dang, I was using that pillow to lean against. Not a well thought-out attack.

A few minutes later, though, he returned, pillow in hand. "You should be more patient with me, considering I'm doing something nice for you," he teased as he put the pillow back where it belonged.

"When you pull out your card I get nervous," I told him. "What did you buy?"

"I'd think you'd be more interested in what the doctor said."

"If I knew you called him, I'd know to ask that," I countered, crossing my arms over my chest in exasperation.

"He said you could take another shower as long as you were sitting down," he told me with a smile. It seemed the bench in there was going to be put to another use than just great sex.

Edward made sure to be naked as he helped me into the shower. "Just in case you need a hand," he told me. He helped me gently to the bench before taking the hand-held shower head down from the wall. "Tell me when it's the right temperature," he prompted, moving the dial as I told him to make it colder, more, more, more. Looking at me like I'd lost my mind he asked, "Should I just get you a bucket of ice?"

"That might be a good idea," I quipped, taking the wand from him and directing the cold water over my head. It was incredibly refreshing and I moaned in relief from the heat. I quickly sprayed down my entire body, no longer feeling like I was melting. "This feels really good," I said, eyes closed and leaning against the wall. "You want to come join me?"

"If I join you we may never have sex again," he said and it sounded as if his teeth might be chattering. "As it is I think the boys have pulled back inside of my body."

Opening my eyes I couldn't help but laugh. Edward was on the other side of the shower, wincing whenever a stray drop of water hit him. It might have been the light but his lips looked blue. "You don't have to stay in here with me. I'll call you if I need you."

I had no idea he could move so fast. No sooner had I said that than he was out of the shower and drying off, shivering. It was probably just as well that he got out, because that was when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," he told me. As if I was in any way capable.

The kids seemed to be enjoying the shower as much as me as I wasted the precious resource for what had to be another hour. I could feel them rolling around whenever I directed the spray of the water over my belly. Then again, they could be trying to escape the cold, but it really did feel good. Still, I couldn't stay in the shower forever. One of the kids kicked my bladder and I needed to go. Now.

"Edward!" I called, wondering where he was and if he could even hear me. "Edward!" I cried a couple minutes later, wincing when another well-placed kick hit my bladder. Just as I was shouting his name a third time he came flying into the bathroom.

"Are you all right?" he asked, panic in his voice and on his face.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I said, feeling bad that I had scared him.

He rolled his eyes and turned off the water before wrapping a towel around me. "I thought you'd fallen or something," he said as he helped me to the toilet.

"I'm sorry I scared you. Where were you?" I asked, relieved to finally be able to empty my bladder.

"Oh, um, taking care of our visitor."

"Who was it?"

"Don't get mad…"

Why do people say that? I wondered, because as soon as it was out of his mouth I knew he was in trouble. "What did you do?"

"I thought you might like a swimming pool. The doctor said that would be all right."

He wasn't in trouble. He was dead.

* * *

I love really cold showers in the summertime. When I was growing up in Florida we had months where the hot water heater was only turned on to do laundry. My husband thinks I'm insane.


	95. Chapter 95 Soar

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Soar

* * *

It took about a month to finish building the pool. This is good because the pounding and digging, the smell of the concrete, and the sight of the hunky construction guys was really getting to me. Honestly it was the nick of time, cold showers just weren't working anymore. I needed to soak in cold water now; I was so hot all the time.

Alice had been nice enough to fashion a maternity bathing suit large enough to accommodate twins. It was actually kind of cute, despite the amount of fabric required to drape over my belly. Edward's favorite part was that it was a two-piece. He kept wanting to practice holding the bottles. I kept pointing out that the bottles were a bit sensitive at the moment and to please be gentle.

The Braxton-hicks contractions were really bad today and I hoped that floating in water would help take off some of the pressure from my back. It's been wonderful before, but it didn't seem to be working as well today. Still, it was better than laying in bed, sweating and in pain. It also seemed to help my ankles. With the weightlessness of water they didn't feel the need to swell up in resemblance of elephants'.

A particularly strong contraction hit me, making me bend over double. "Bella?" Alice called from the other end of the pool. "Are you all right?"

"I didn't think Braxton-hicks were supposed to be this strong," I said while panting. Edward and I had started Lamaze classes, but the breathing didn't seem to help. This hurt.

Alice swam back to me and watched me breathe. She'd been goggling how I'm supposed to breathe as well as watching Youtube videos, giving me 'helpful' instruction when I practiced. It was kind of surprising that she wasn't saying anything to me.

Finally the contraction lessened, allowing me to sit up normally again. Alice reached for her phone and glanced at it. "What?" I asked.

"I think that might have been a real contraction. I'm just checking the time in case another hits." I shrugged and continued to lounge in the water with her. A half hour later I'd forgotten all about it, until a vise grip clenched around my midsection, catching me by surprise. Alice glanced at her phone again. "Twenty-seven minutes," she told me as I tried to catch my breath. I just nodded and waited for the pain to subside.

"What do you think he's hunting?" Alice asked, pointing out a golden eagle that was so high we could barely tell what it was. I appreciated the distraction. Watching him soar and swoop took my mind off of what might be happening. It was too soon, I had another four weeks to go. Except the doctor warned me that twins tended to come early so I was silently freaking out.

It was twenty-five minutes later when the next contraction hit. "That's it, out of the pool, I'm calling Edward," Alice demanded.

"Can't," I panted, "move…yet…need…help." This contraction was putting the rest to shame.

"Fine, I'm texting Edward to meet us at the hospital and calling Emmett." I would have asked her why she was calling him, but that would have required air that was currently supposedly lessening the pain of the contraction. He got to our house in two minutes. I hoped he just wasn't far away because that drive normally takes ten.

He assessed the situation quickly, and then walked into the pool fully dressed. As soon as he lifted me from the water the pressure doubled. There was no way breathing alone was going to work. "Grab a tarp or something Alice, it looks like her water's trying to break," he called to his sister as he carried me out to his truck. I guess he knew what he was talking about since Rosalie had been pregnant a few times.

Alice ran to our garage and then to his truck, getting the blue plastic spread out before Emmett got me to the vehicle. "Edward called, he's on his way to the hospital," Alice told me as she climbed in beside me.

"Hang on, Bella, we're gonna fly like an eagle here," Emmett said, making me giggle.

"Already saw one of those today," I told him, straightening up as the pain lessened.

"Well, do me a favor sis, don't have your water break while we're on the way. Rose did that and it took me months to get the truck cleaned out." I just glared at him.

Another contraction hit on the way and Alice helpfully informed me that this one was fifteen minutes after the last one. I'm not sure why she needed to tell me they were getting closer after that, I could do the math. When I pointed that out Emmett leaned over and smiled at her. "I think she's already in transition."

"I'll put you in transition!" I shouted. Granted it didn't make any sense, I just didn't want them talking about me while I was once again hunched over. Luckily for Emmett, my water didn't break in the truck. I couldn't say the same for the hospital. No sooner was I over the threshold than another contraction hit "Twelve minutes" and I was soaked. Thankfully, Edward was there, in scrubs and looking incredibly handsome. I wanted to punch him.

A helpful nurse who managed to survive my tirade examined me before sending us straight into delivery. "She's moving really fast. Have the babies turned?"

"I don't think so," Edward said. "No," he added when he saw me shaking my head.

"Great, the call is already in to Dr. Banner, he should be here shortly. I'll try to get them to turn." She then proceeded to push on my stomach. She may have survived the examination but I was definitely going to kill her for this.

I could feel the babies rolling, though. "Is this safe for them?" I asked, my breath catching when one very unhappy child kicked my diaphragm.

"Better than being born breach," she told me, continuing to massage and coax the children. "We don't want to do a C-section if we don't have to. According to your chart you should be far enough along to deliver normally." With that in mind I gritted my teeth and let her push. Then I wanted to push.

"Wow, you're really moving fast," the nurse said when I told her then yelled out into the hall for the attending. A really young guy came running in and took up position between my legs. For a second I laughed, thinking this little kid was getting the shock of his life, then realized he was standing in for my doctor.

"How old are you? Twelve?" I asked when I could take a breath.

"No, would you believe thirty?" he replied. I shook my head, clamping my teeth shut. I was afraid if I opened my mouth nothing but profanities would come out. "You're doing great. I'm afraid you're too advanced for an epidural already so I guess we're doing this naturally."

"Then why is that guy swabbing my back?" I hissed, proud nothing vulgar came out with those words.

"In case we have to cut you open. He's just getting prepared. It's better if we just let this happen, though."

"Better for who?" I screeched, pretty sure I heard a bone break in Edward's hand from where I was squeezing it. Funny, I don't remember taking hold of his hand.

"Better for the babies," Dr. Doogie answered. I actually didn't know his name, but I'm pretty sure he was lying about the thirty thing.

"Only one has turned," I huffed, starting to bear down.

"Then let's hope that one comes out first," the kid said calmly before shoving his entire fist up my vagina. "Yep, I feel the head." I was going to say something snarky, but I could feel it too. I felt like I was giving birth to a watermelon. "One more push," Doogie said, and I felt the baby slip out as something tore and I tried hard not to yell.

"Please tell me you caught my baby," I said, lying back. More hands were at my stomach, encouraging the second baby to turn. Now that he had room, he did. I knew it was a he, because the child prodigy was holding up a daughter and we were having one of each. "She's beautiful," I whispered, very tired.

"Yes, and you're not done yet," the child replied. I could tell he was right, the contractions were starting up again. Three minutes later a larger watermelon made its way down the birth canal. I swear, I'll never be the same down there. Poor Edward, no more good sex.

And that was my last thought before falling into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

Don't worry, I promis


	96. Chapter 96 Putrid

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Ranchward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Putrid

* * *

It was the discomfort that woke me. The bed was lumpy and missing a certain warm body. It's odd that I missed the warmth, since I've been dying of the heat for the past few months, but now I was cold and uncomfortable. Shifting in the bed also informed me that I was sore. Really sore.

"Bella?" Edward's concerned voice reached me. "Are you really awake this time?"

"Mmm," I hummed, opening my eyes slowly. My eyes also hurt in spite of the dim light. "Hospital?" I asked softly, taking in my surroundings. Then I remembered the babies. My hands flew to my stomach which was now quite a bit flatter than it had been, though still pouchy. "Where…"

"In the nursery, doing fine," he assured me as he took my hand. "Are you awake enough to hear what happened?"

The feeling of disorientation was leaving so I nodded. "The contractions progressed so rapidly that it wore your body out. Also, you were hemorrhaging slightly. The second placenta tore your uterus. Not enough to cause serious damage, just enough that they went in and stitched you up. Add in the fact that you ripped, and it was more than your body could take, so you shut down. You've been asleep for about twelve hours."

"The babies are fine?" I asked, tugging on his hand until he was lying down next to me.

His movements were careful as he wrapped an arm around my waist. "Yes, perfectly healthy. They're small, our daughter is three pounds, eight ounces and our son is four pounds, two ounces."

"That's a lot of baby," I said with a laugh. Actually, I only laughed once, but it hurt, so I stopped and moved instantly to groaning. "I thought vaginal births didn't hurt as bad."

"Honey, you're bruised from them pushing on your stomach, you have internal and external stitches from tearing, your uterus is contracting from giving birth, your hormones are changing rapidly, and you lost enough blood to make them consider giving you a transfusion."

"You mean it could have been worse?" I asked, wincing as I moved.

He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes, darling, it could have been worse. Now, do you want to see the children?"

"Yes, will the nurse bring them in?" In my head I had visions of lying here and holding the babies.

"No, you need to get up and walk," he said far too merrily. It was a good thing he hopped off of the bed or I would have tried to hit him.

"Um, you do remember that long list of things wrong with me, right?" I asked, cringing at the thought of moving.

"Yes, and you'll heal faster if you move. We'll take it slow." He reached his hands out to me to help, but my body wasn't cooperating. My legs didn't want to move, or rather it hurt when I tried to move them. Seeing the problem he freed them from the constraints of the blankets and then grabbed my hands so I could use him for leverage.

A nurse came to the door and watched, giving suggestions and encouragement on how to move to be successful. It seemed everyone wanted to torment me. "Now, if you can get up and move every two hours you'll do much better. Having the babies nurse will help your stomach flatten out as well." I just nodded to let her know I'd heard her because I was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea and if I opened my mouth then Edward would be very unhappy. She was a good nurse; she recognized the signs immediately.

"Stop moving and look up," she directed, hurrying over with what looked like a pail for vomiting. "Looking down makes it worse."

I glued my eyes to the ceiling and it did help a little. "Can you move some more?" she asked, pushing Edward aside. I was glad, the idea of throwing up on her didn't bother me as much. Maybe I should stop thinking about throwing up. "Scoot to the edge of the bed," she instructed and I did, but the motion sent me over the edge. The proverbial edge, not the bed's edge.

She was quick, the vomit pail was in place in no time. The putrid stench of it made me gag even more. The gagging made my stomach contract, and that hurt so bad I started to cry. "Look up!" she instructed and I tried to do as I was told. This time was much more successful. "Are you done?" she asked and when I hummed she took it for assent and removed the pail. She returned with a warm washcloth and cleaned my face. It was heavenly.

"I'm sorry," I started to say but she just tutted.

"You aren't the first and you won't be the last. They gave you some morphine and many people have this reaction to it. Can you try to move again?"

I almost shouted for joy when I finally got to my feet. Of course, then my bladder made itself known. "Bathroom," I panted and was surprised when she smiled.

"I'm glad you want to go, that's a good sign," she said as she helped me walk in the right direction. Edward was holding my arm on the other side, his presence comforting. "It's going to sting on your stitches, so grit your teeth. I'll come in and help you get cleaned up afterward." So much for modesty and personal dignity, but I had to admit I needed the help.

"Now let's get you back to bed," she said when I was ready.

"But the babies…"

"Are in the hallway. I wanted you to get up and move, and they're sleeping anyway and can wait." So much for liking her. I could have stayed put and held my babies!

When I was situated back in bed she wheeled in a large bassinet with two tiny babies. One was dressed with a pink hat and the other had a blue one. The name tags on the bassinet just read 'girl Cullen and boy Cullen.'

"We need to name them, don't we?" I asked Edward stupidly. We'd never agreed on anything. With a smirk I said, "I'm proud of you for not taking advantage of my being unconscious."

"Well, I do want to have sex with you again someday," he said with a laugh. The nurse shook her head and pushed him out of the way to hand the little ones to me. "Besides, I didn't like my names when I saw them."

"Yes, because Archibald and Winnifred are such wonderful names." Granted those weren't at the top of his list, but the fact that they were on the list at all had been the topic of heated discussion.

Looking into the faces of my children I realized I didn't like the names I'd picked out either. "Right?" Edward said, understanding my expression. "It's good we have a month to name them. We might need it."

"Well, for now we'll call them ours," I said, leaning over to place kisses on tiny faces.

* * *

Two things: first - I'm out of town for the rest of the week so won't have time to post, second - there is only one more chapter for these two. *runs and hides*


	97. Chapter 97 Flag

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Ranchward, 15 years later  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Flag

* * *

"You take the boy and I'll take the girl," Edward whispered as we looked at our children. They were standing on the patio, covered in mud and gore, attempts at contrition on their faces overpowered by the occasional smirk they gave each other. Yeah, they were sorry, that they were caught.

"I think a unified front would be better," I whispered back, turning my head to face in the opposite direction of my children. They were in trouble, seeing me laugh would be bad.

"Don't you _dare_ start giggling," Edward hissed. He was fighting a smile as well. A glance at the children let me know we'd been caught as well. I took a deep breath and nodded. "Am I talking first or are you?" he asked.

"I'll go first," I said, taking another breath and trying to put on my 'you're in big trouble' face.

"Good luck," he whispered, fixing a glare on the kids. They cringed then, hopefully assuming Edward had been smiling at something I said apart from what they had done.

"Thanks," I whispered back. Mom face now fully locked in I looked from one child to the other. "Esme Marie and Charles Anthony, according to the principal you took down the flag from the flagpole and replaced it with the head of a boar you shot last weekend with Uncle Emmett?"

"Why does he think it's ours?" Anthony asked, a little too forcefully in my opinion. Yep, he was guilty.

"Well, son, you might have wanted to remove the tag on the ear," Edward said, coughing in a sorry attempt to cover up his laughter when Anthony blanched and glared at his sister.

"You said you took that off!" he hissed.

"I did!" she griped back.

"Gotcha!" Edward yelled pointing at them both. I was busy with my own cough/laugh at the moment.

"It was Uncle Emmett's idea!" Anthony protested. "He said it was a great prank!"

"And he covered for us!" Marie added. "How did you know? I took off that tag!"

"You might have wanted to find out if anyone else had gone hunting last weekend," Edward advised, only jumping slightly when I smacked him on the back. Giving the children hints was not a good idea. They had their uncle for that and had been in more trouble because of it than any other students in the school. It amazed me that his children were sweet, docile creatures. Then again, maybe they feared the wrath of their mother enough to behave.

"How you could have hidden it isn't what's up for discussion here, how you're going to clean up the mess you've made is," I said, hoping it sounded forceful enough. Judging from Anthony's face it was. "How on earth did you get it up there in the first place?"

Anthony chuckled. Never a good thing. Emmett probably needed to be reprimanded as well. I pulled out my phone to text my sister-in-law while Marie explained. "We borrowed the fire truck." My fingers stumbled over the keys at 'your husba…'

"How on earth did you _borrow_ the fire truck?" Edward fussed. Actually he was just this side of yelling. Deciding to let him question them I continued to type 'got our children to put a boar's head on the flagpole.'

"Well, you remember that service thingy we did last week?" Anthony began, eyeing me as I typed. "Maisie palmed the key when she was allowed to pull it out of the garage and handed it off to John who took it down to Home Depot and made a copy of it."

Now I'm adding Alice and Jasper to the send list and what their children had done.

"So after stealing the truck?" Edward asked, arms crossed and doing a really good job of looking intimidating. I just noticed how nice the grey hair at his temples looked.

"It took us a few tries to figure out how to work the ladder," Marie added. I'm guessing they're hoping that full disclosure equals less punishment. "Janie figured it out."

I'm now past the one hundred forty character limit, so send the first text and start a new one letting Rosalie know that precious child just older than ours was now also implicated. My phone was beginning to buzz in reply, mostly telling me that Edward's siblings were on their way with children in tow. Or in Rosalie's case, with husband and children in tow.

It took us another hour to get to the bottom of all of this. Emmett had suggested to the kids that teenagers today are just destructive and don't know how to do a well-staged prank anymore. After some discussion they all settled on this plan and even convinced us that they wanted to go hunting so they could get the head, not so they could have a bar-b-que as they originally stated. All of them had been involved, including Emmett and Rose's oldest who was away in college. The fire truck had been his idea.

Amid shouts of 'that's not fair' and 'why am I getting punished, I just drove' the law was laid down. Esme and Carlisle had also come over to give the weight of their authority to the discussion, adding in helpful suggestions for how it was all going to be cleaned up and just what community service should be rendered to pay the school back for their trouble. Groundings, removal of privileges, and decisions of who was going to pay for what were meted out before the kids were shuttled off to their respective homes where even more restrictions could be placed upon them for their individual involvement in the chaos. From the snatches of conversation I could hear from Emmett and Rosalie it sounded like he was getting a special grounding of his own.

After the children huffed their way to bed, firmly letting us know we were the worst parents ever, I finally collapsed onto my own bed. "Why did we want to have children again?" I asked, exhausted.

I could feel the bed dip next to me. "It seemed like a good idea at the time," Edward replied. He stretched out and placed his head on my chest, pulling down my top and placing a soft kiss on the top of my breast. "Let's burn the turkey baster."

Our daughter's screech came from the hallway just outside our room. "EW! You still have that? That's so disgusting!" Heavy footsteps soon followed, carrying the continuing raving away from our door.

Edward and I looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Are you sure you used the right sperm and didn't get Emmett's by mistake?" I asked, then squealed when he pinched my side.

"He _is_ my brother, the gene pool is tainted somehow, apparently."

"Apparently," I agreed. I would have said more but his lips were at my breast again. As I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him on top of me I thought of all the years that had slipped by as fast as flashes of lightening. We'd laughed, cried, argued, made up, made out and just enjoyed life together.

I tugged gently on the graying hairs I had admired earlier while ignoring the bright white one that was waving in front of my face and attached to my head. He lifted his face enough to catch my eyes. "I'm so glad those cattle treed you," he whispered as he pushed aside my clothing.

"I'm so glad you rescued me," I responded. After that our lips were too busy to say anything more.

* * *

So the boar's head on the flagpole was actually done by some people I knew in high school. I was not involved, other than to gag at the stench it made in the hot, humid, Florida summer sun. I did find it funny, other than that.

This is the end of these two. Loudward is up next, as soon as I figure out where in the world I left them...


	98. Chapter 98 Useless

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward!  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Useless

If you want to read the previous chapters here is the list:

Fictionista 1 – 126, 129, 132  
Fictionista 2 – 3, 6, 9, 13, 17, 18, 22, 26, 30, 39, 45, 50, 55, 61, 67  
Fictionista 3 – 4, 10, 15, 22, 28, 34, 40, 46, 52, 58, 64  
Fictionista 4 – 5, 11, 17, 23

* * *

I was shocked when I got off work. Edward's antics while I was creating the presentation for the museum had made me think that tonight would be like most nights when I got off of work, take-out and a movie at my place or his. What I found when I stepped off the elevator was something else entirely.

Soft jazz was playing in his apartment, carried on the mixed scents of lemon and capers that came from his open door. Candles were flickering, causing the light to dance in the hallway. He hadn't mentioned anything like this to me so I had no idea of how long I needed to wait to join him.

Thinking it would be nice to change out of my work clothes I slipped quietly to my apartment only to find a note on the door. _Bella_, it read,

_I've taken the liberty of making dinner. I know you want to change, but please don't. Just come right over._

_I have the door wired, by the way. If you open it an alarm will go off, so don't try anything._

_Edward_

Sure enough when I looked down I could see a small wire trailing across the hallway. It was taped in some places in an attempt to make it safe. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I can hear you out there, so you might as well come in," he called. Looking up from the floor I was met by his laughing eyes. "And just so you know, yes, it does work."

"What if I want to kick off my shoes?" I asked, crossing my arms and taking a defiant stance.

"Do it over here, and stop fighting me." He strutted out of his apartment to put his arm around my waist and whisper in my ear. "I know you're tired and hungry. I want to pamper you. Please let me?"

"I'm just worried about the price," I hedged while allowing him to pull me across the hall.

"You know what I want. Marriage. I've told you this." Shaking my head I followed him in. As soon as the door was closed behind me he dropped to the floor to help me take off my shoes, but that isn't what caused my jaw to drop. It wasn't just a few candles, every surface was covered with them. Except the table, which only had two white tapers. The rest of the table was set with china and crystal.

"I borrowed the dinner stuff from Alice, who insisted she set it up as well. She also put up the candles, telling me that when it came to romance I was pretty useless." His voice sounded nervous, a first for him, and it drew my attention. Lifting a finger he trailed it over my cheekbone gently. "You do realize it was five months ago that we met, don't you?"

Shaking my head I whispered I didn't. His smile faltered a little. "Well, I'll never forget the night you punched me."

Groaning I shook my head. "Are you ever going to let me forget that?"

"Are you kidding? I plan on telling our children," he said with a laugh. "I'm sure they'll all love that their mom punched their dad."

"Edward," I said with a small whine.

"I know, you aren't ready to get married yet," he said, the finger that had trailed along my cheekbone moved to my lips. "But I am, and I'm not giving up." His eyes lifted from what his finger was doing to look into mine. There was desire there, mixed with a longing that took me by surprise. Then it morphed into the teasing look he typically wore. "Besides, your dad said he wanted grandchildren, and when I was talking to Renee earlier she mentioned that she would like some as well."

Shock froze me for an instant. Then I was sputtering, trying to pull away from him. "You called my _mom_? What were you thinking? Are you insane?"

He held me firm, refusing to allow me to move an inch from his body. "Just making sure they approve of me before I press my case with you. A hundred years ago I would need their approval to even sit with you. I just wanted to do this the right way."

I'd managed to get my arms free and was pushing on him. Alarm be damned, I wasn't staying here. No matter what we were doing he always seemed to bring this up. "Edward, how could you?"

He huffed in annoyance, pinned my arms to my side and lifted me over his shoulder. In no time we were going down the hall toward his bedroom. I started to protest, but he slapped my backside and told me to be quiet. My entire body bounced when he dumped me on his bed. "Stay there," he insisted, and I dared not move due to the look in his eyes. He was angry. He never got angry.

Darting to his closet he grabbed something before returning and sitting next to me on the bed. His eyes darted to mine, down to what he held in his hands then back to mine. "I don't think you believe me, and I want you to know how serious I am." With that, he placed an old, black-velvet box on my knee.

"Is that…?" I whispered, scared to even touch it.

"It doesn't bite, Bella. Open it." I looked at him again; this time there was a trace of fear in his eyes behind the frustration. "Please?" he begged.

I reached out and took the little box. "If you don't like it we can get something else," he whispered beside me. His breathing sounded loud next to my lack of respiration.

Tipping back the lid I was shocked for the second time. Inside was the perfect ring. It was a rose cut blue diamond. The band was like the stake of the rose bush with thorns engraved on the sides. "It's a seventh century engagement ring. Well, a reproduction anyway. This one is made from platinum instead of silver, but it really is a blue diamond. There are boron impurities in the carbon that give it the color. They are very rare, but so are you."

I was silent, looking at the beautiful ring. His fingers were wrapping around mine, pulling the ring from the box and poising it over the third finger of my left hand. "I only want one word from you, do you know what it is?"

"Yes," I whispered.

* * *

I read back over the chapters and was surprised to find how close to finished this storyline was. There really won't be much more.

If you want to see the ring:

http: / / www (dot) collectorsweekly (dot) com / stories / 694-17th-century-engagement-ring?in=702

As always, remove spaces and replace (dot) with .


	99. Chapter 99 Green

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Green

* * *

When I looked up I could see the frustration in his eyes. The green always more closely resembled emeralds than grass when he was upset or annoyed. "Yes, you know what I'm asking or is yes your answer to what I'm asking?" he said through clenched teeth. I kept looking back at the ring as if it might bite my finger off if I didn't watch it closely.

"Yes, I know what you're asking," I whispered, searching my mind for what to say next.

He huffed in exasperation beside me. "Let me ask you this, what are you afraid of, marriage or me?"

"Both?" I hedged.

"Okay." He put the ring back into the box and snapped it closed. I was equally annoyed and relieved that it was removed. "Let's start with the easier one. Why are you afraid of marriage?"

"Because people get divorced all the time. They meet this wonderful person, fall in love, get married and then end up hating each other." I could feel the burn of tears behind my eyes, and I knew they were just in reaction to my frustration. Still, I didn't want them to fall because of all the talks we'd ever had, this one needed to be unemotional.

"Not everyone gets divorced or ends up hating each other," he said, leaning back as I rose from the bed. It was like he knew I needed to pace to get out the nervous energy I felt. "My parents are still married and very happy. Your parents are divorced but still amiable. What makes you think we'll end up as either divorced or hating each other?"

I turned to face him, throwing my hands up in exasperation as I spoke. "But don't you see? The last thing I want is to ever hate you."

A smile started to form on his face. "Why is that the last thing you ever want, Bella?" he asked, his tone somehow both soft and piercing. The emeralds darkened.

"I don't know," I said, blushing at the blatant lie. I did know, but that led to why I was afraid of him.

It was as if he could read my mind. Looking at me for a few seconds the smile grew. "Does it have to do with why you are afraid of me?" I was going to shake my head negatively, but it seemed as if one lie was my quota for the day. Instead I nodded.

"Are you afraid of me because you're afraid of me hurting you?" The emeralds were softening. They were becoming like molten pools instead, glassy almost. "How could I hurt you, Bella?"

"You could decide you don't want me anymore," I answered, backing away as he rose from the bed and began to walk toward me.

He gave a soft chuckle as he advanced. "Your dad threatened a very important part of my anatomy if I did that. A piece I'm quite attached to, so that probably isn't a concern."

"And in twenty years? Thirty? Fifty? How about then?" My back met the wall, stopping my retreat. "How about when my hair is completely grey, I'm all stretched out and overweight from having babies, my skin looks like it could seriously benefit from an iron, and I become senile?"

"Only if you promise to love me still," he whispered. He came up to me, but didn't press against me. A definite first for him. Instead he reached out and took my hand, trailing his fingers through mine. "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?" he sang the line from the Beatles song around small huffs of laughter. His eyes trailed up from where he was looking at my fingers until they met my own. The emeralds were gone, replaced with soft moss.

"All I know is that I love you. You frustrate me, make me crazy, drive me to distraction and will definitely be the cause of any baldness I suffer from because of pulling my hair out over you, but damn it woman, I love you." Leaning in he placed his forehead against mine, his nearness practically taking my breath away. "I love you, something I never anticipated doing when I first saw you and could only imagine getting you into bed. I love you, and believe me when I say I'm more shocked about it than you are. I love how you challenge me. I love how you don't take any of my crap but still listen to what I say. I love how smart you are. I love how respectful you are. I love how caring you are. I love that my family loves you. I love that you laugh with them and put up with them. I love …"

I pressed my lips to his. Not once had he mentioned that he loved anything physical about me and I wasn't going to give him an opportunity to screw that up. Finally he talked about his love for _me_, not just what I looked like. It was what I really wanted. With that declaration my fear fell away, because while I wouldn't have a well-toned body in twenty years, I did hope my mind would stay intact.

"Yes," I murmured against his lips.

"Yes?" he asked after pulling away. His hands were on my shoulders, gently holding me to the wall. "Yes, you'll marry me or yes you'll still feed me?"

I laughed when he asked that. "Yes, I'll still feed you, and need you, and will be married to you, when we're sixty-four. Longer, I hope."

"Longer is better," he said through a huge smile. "Just remember, I'm dying first. It's only fair since I had to chase you and be without you so long. You kept us apart, so I get to go first…"

I kissed him. There had been enough talking.

* * *

Baboo and I sometimes have the 'who's going to die first' argument. Since my family considers anything younger than 95 to go early, and his thinks anything over 80 is miraculous, he keeps reminding me it will be him. I tell him he's not allowed to leave me here. Here's hoping that works.


	100. Chapter 100 Vouch

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Vouch, crouch, slouch

* * *

"Let's have dinner," Edward said around kissing me. "You've been working all day, I'm sure you're tired." Stepping away he pulled me into the kitchen where a salad was sitting in a bowl, a bottle of ceasar dressing beside it. "Want to dress the salad?" he asked, turning away from me to the stove.

I could smell garlic wafting from the sauce pan in front of him and see a bag of fresh, peeled shrimp waiting to be cooked. "Besides the salad, what are you making us?"

"Shrimp linguini and a strawberry tiramisu for dessert," he answered, making me laugh.

"Where you planning on romancing me?"

"Hey, I expected to fight with you over this so was prepared to pull out all the stops to get you to agree." Turning to look at me he gave me a huge smile, one that made him seem much younger and lighthearted. "This way we can discuss the whens and wheres of getting married over dinner. That sounds like a lot more fun, don't you think?"

I groaned. "Do I have to be involved in that? Can't I just show up and get married?"

Throwing mushrooms and the shrimp into the sauce that was now bubbling on the stove he snorted a laugh. "Oh, come on. Don't all girls dream about what they want their wedding to be like?"

"Hello? Have you met me?" I said, shaking my head and looking back to the salad. I'd managed to spill lettuce all over the counter in my too-vigorous tossing and started to pick them up. "Remember, I didn't even want to get married. Can't we just run off somewhere and do this?"

Strong arms came around my waist. From habit I tried to push him away, but he just tightened them around me. "Nope, you don't get to do that anymore." Lifting my left hand he showed it to me. "See this? It means I get to hug you whenever I want."

"It means no such thing," I exclaimed, pushing harder on him, my laughter hopefully softening the rejection.

"Oh, woman, you shouldn't fight me," he threatened, grabbing my hand, a gleam in his eyes. I immediately shook him off and ran for it. One problem, I ran in the direction of his bedroom.

Looking over my shoulder I could see he crouch down as if he were about to take off in a race. With a laugh I bolted, getting to his room and turning to slam the door. He got there before I could, though. His hand splayed over the wood just before I managed to get it fully closed, pushing with all his strength and throwing me back a bit. His eyes were filled with mirth as I backed away from him.

"Now Edward, be reasonable," I said, panting a bit from my sprint and the excitement of his chase.

"Oh, if I'm anything it's reasonable," he crooned, no longer running but stalking me all the same. He resumed his crouch then shot forward, grabbing me around my waist and throwing me on the bed, jumping after me and landing half on and half off my body.

"Oof," I gasped, air leaving my body in a rush when he made contact.

"Sorry," he replied and I almost believed him. "How about I kiss it better?" An open-handed smack on his shoulder was my answer which made him laugh and grasp my hands in his, pinning them above my head. "Hmm, I like this position much better than just hugging you," he said, lowering his head to trail his lips over my jaw.

My heart began to race as he moved his lips over my skin. "I've wanted to kiss you here for so long," he murmured upon reaching the hollow of my throat. I could feel the tip of his tongue touching my skin and was shocked when a soft moan left my throat in response. "Hmm, she likes it," he whispered, moving along my collarbone and releasing my hands.

He began to follow the line of my collar with kisses, dipping down to the top button as my fingers wound into his hair. I knew I needed to stop him, but letting go felt so nice. Surely as long as nothing came unbuttoned we were safe.

Thankfully his lips traveled up the other side of my décolletage so I was free from telling him no again. The smell of him assaulted my nose, sandalwood from his shampoo, a spicy muskiness that was his own unique scent and smoke.

Smoke?

"Edward, something is burning," I whispered, pulling gently on his hair to lift him from my neck.

"I know, honey, but I'm trying to maintain control," he said before placing a kiss under my ear.

"No, Edward, I smell smoke," I insisted, pushing on his shoulders.

"Oh, crap, the shrimp," he exclaimed, jumping from the bed and rushing to the kitchen. I scooted off after him, shocked by the layer of smoke I could see starting to escape into the hallway. Just at that moment the fire alarm went off, screeching loudly.

"Bella, grab a newspaper and fan that while I take care of this in here," he shouted above the din. I ran for the living room, opened the front door and grabbed the newspaper off the coffee table on my way back into the hallway. Waving frantically I tried to clear the smoke, but more was pouring from the kitchen.

"Are you all right? Are there any flames?" I shouted, worried that he was in there alone.

"No fire, just lots of smoke," he shouted back. I could hear the sound of water hissing as it hit the pan, followed by a loud crack. Before I could ask what it was a small dark head shot past me. I could just make out Alice as she disappeared into Edward's bedroom. Looking behind me I could see the rest of his family fanning out and opening windows. Esme gave me a wave as she rushed past me into the kitchen to help in there.

It took another couple minutes to make the alarm stop screeching and I ran across the hall to my place to get fans to put in the windows. Another ten minutes and Alice and I had five fans stationed around the place blowing the smoke out.

With everything under control I went back to the kitchen to see Edward tasting a leaf of lettuce and spitting it back out with disgust. "It picked up the smoke," he said as he slouched against the counter in defeat. "I'm sorry, I wanted this to be a memorable dinner," he said to me, pulling me against him.

"Oh, I'd say it's memorable all right," I said, giving a small giggle as I put my arms around him. "And to think this all started over a hug," I said as I laid my head on his shoulder.

"Hey, we were promised tiramisu," Emmett said, coming into the kitchen. "You didn't burn that too, did you?" He opened the door and grabbed for the confection. "Nope, looks fine."

"Emmett," Esme chided, "they haven't even eaten yet. Leave that alone."

"Is it any good or does it taste burned as well?" Edward huffed, still feeling let down that his dinner was ruined.

"I can vouch for him as a cook if you need, Bella," Emmett said, picking up a large strawberry and swiping it through the cream. "What I want to know is what you two were doing that made him ignore the food?"

That made Edward smile. Reaching down he took my left hand, lifted it and showed it to the family. "Celebrating."

* * *

They knew he was proposing, that's why they all showed up. As for what broke, you'll find out next chapter. Have a great day!


	101. Chapter 101 Sultry

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Sultry

* * *

"Well it's about time," Emmett huffed, leaning over to place a kiss on my cheek. "You've been driving him crazy for months. Please tell me he's gonna get laid now because he's been like a grouchy bear since he met you."

"Emmett," the rest of the group shouted in various levels of dismay and amusement. Esme seemed to be looking for something to beat her older son with, but Rosalie didn't hesitate and just smacked his arm in disgust.

"Like you're any better," she said, mostly amused. "Welcome to the family, Bella," she added, giving me a side hug. "Thanks for taking the moody one. I'm hoping you'll lighten him up."

"Hey, I'm right here, you know," Edward griped, making the others laugh.

"Well, we're not getting any cake, and Edward's not getting _any_ with us standing here, perhaps it's time for us to go." Alice started pushing family members out. "Let me know if you want help planning the wedding," she added as a parting shot while leading her family out the door.

"I'm glad he asked you," Esme said, also giving me a light hug. "If you want to elope, I understand." Her laughter followed her out of the room.

"So, do you want to get any," Edward asked, leering in a way that looked stupid on Emmett and ridiculous on him.

"Yes, I'm starving. Let's eat out," I said, chuckling when he groaned.

"I suppose that's a good idea," he said, taking my hand. We saw his family again when we reached the bottom floor of the apartment building, apparently arguing over when we were going to be having sex. I saw money switching hands when we walked out, Emmett shaking his head in disgust.

Ten minutes later we walked into an anachronistic diner, except instead of fifties music the sultry tones of Sade wafted over the booths. "Do they change the mood music at certain times" Edward asked the hostess as we were being seated. "I'd expect to hear this in a bar or something, not a diner with a mini-jukebox at every table."

"The owner is trying something new. Can I complain on your behalf?" She was obviously young and unappreciative of the selection playing. Her pout was almost comical when Edward shook his head.

"Are you kidding? We just got engaged. This is much better than 'You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog'," he said, making me laugh.

"Yes, because 'Smooth Operator' is so much more in line with your plans for tonight?" I teased him.

"Well if you hadn't distracted me, yes. It's not my fault dinner burned."

"Oh, it's totally your fault," I said, fighting a laugh.

Pulling me close he lowered his lips to just hover over mine. "Well, now that we're engaged do I get to show just how much of a smooth operator I can be?"

"Not in a diner, you don't," I said, pushing him away and giving an apologetic look to the obviously embarrassed hostess.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, perusing the menu in amusement. It was probably the most limited menu I'd ever seen, with the possible exception of the one in the diner that Vinny went to in the movie 'My Cousin Vinny' that had only breakfast, lunch and dinner listed. At least here dinner was either a hamburger, liver and onions, or a ham steak.

"I'm telling you now, please never feed me liver," Edward said. "I wonder if the hamburger at least comes with cheese."

"Actually the recipe for liver and onions is quite tasty if you use real meat," I said. "I wonder if they'd put the grilled onions from the liver and onions on the hamburger."

My comment was met with silence and a glance up showed Edward was looking at me with a look between intrigue and disgust. "Use the liver and onion recipe on real meat?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, putting down the menu. It would be a hamburger whether I could get the grilled onions or not. "Think about it. That recipe is supposed to make even liver taste good. Use it on good meat and it's delicious. I'll have the hamburger, can I get the grilled onions from the liver and onions on it?" The waitress had shown up, so I just finished my comment by talking to her.

"I really like it when the cook makes the hamburger like liver and onions," she said. "Want me to ask him to do that for you?"

"Yes," I said, excited to be able to show Edward what I was talking about.

"Can I have a hamburger cooked like a hamburger with cheese on it?" he said, shaking his head at us. She looked at him like he was really missing out as she walked away.

"Okay, marriage. How we doing this?" he asked as soon as she was gone. "Elope? Big wedding in a cathedral? On the beach? What do you want?"

His sudden shift had thrown me. My head was on grilled onions in lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. "Um, what?"

"The wedding? The reason we got engaged? And when do we get to have sex? Tonight?"

"I don't care, as long as my dad is there," I told him.

"You want your dad there when we have sex?"

I burst out laughing. "No, when we get married, which is also when we're having sex, by the way. And no, not at the ceremony, after." Why did I have to explain this to him?

"Well, that's good, because I like your dad and don't want to give him another heart-attack." He reached over and took my left hand, twisting it so the diamonds sparkled against my skin. "I very much like seeing this here. I'm looking forward to when it's the only thing you're wearing."

A cough alerted us to the waitress returning. Her face burned as she placed glasses of water in front of us and ran away. I just rolled my eyes at him.

"I like the idea of being married on the beach," he said, twining his fingers with mine. "Preferably as the sun goes down. And no liver at the reception."

"No liver," I agreed. "Let's make it small, family and just a few friends." He nodded, so I continued. "And the reception can be small, I do like the idea of the beach."

Our food was placed before us, the smell wafting up to my nose making my stomach rumble. "But, before you reject the meat and onions idea, taste this." He looked at my sandwich warily but gamely leaned over and took a bite. I could see his face change to one of awe.

"That's amazing. Okay, hamburgers and livered onions at the reception," he declared, making me laugh.

* * *

I frequently use the liver and onions recipe on tough steaks. It's really quite good. My Baboo is happy to say he's never eaten liver, neither his mother nor his wife like it. I know many people do, and that's fine, but we're anti-liver at my house. And no, you can't convince me otherwise. The recipe is still good, though, and I highly recommend it.


	102. Chapter 102 Escape

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Escape  
**Plot Generator – Phrase Catch**: "Easier said than done."

* * *

"We need to go see your dad."

"No we don't. He has a gun and knows how to use it. I think we should just call him."

"I have the next two days off work. I want to escape the city and go somewhere I can't be called in. We're going to see him. I hope one day to be a father and intimidate some poor boy who asks for our daughter's hand, so the least I can do is allow your father the same. Besides, I'm driving and I had Alice break into your apartment and pack you a bag. I also called him and he's expecting us."

"That's good; maybe he'll help me hide your body." Edward laughed while I gaped at him in shock. We really needed to discuss his lack of respect for boundaries. The discussion of children, how many, when, and names would most likely never happen if he didn't learn to respect the next topic.

"You can't keep doing this, Edward," I said, folding my arms across my chest and sitting as far from him as I could get in the car. "We're supposed to be going to dinner, not an overnighter at my dad's house."

"We are going to have dinner. I made reservations at the Lodge in Forks," he said as he glanced over at me. He was far too relaxed. Apparently I needed to up the huffiness level so he would take me seriously.

"You know what I mean. You can't make unilateral decisions that affect both of us. Interpersonal relationships are supposed to be mutually conceived. Dictatorships have no place in them." He was laughing. Actually laughing. At me. "If you can't discuss something as easy as going to see my father or not without kidnapping me then perhaps we shouldn't be getting married."

I tried to pull the ring off my finger but he grabbed that hand and yanked it across his body. The only thing that kept me out of his lap was the console, and the gear shift was now pushing painfully into my side.

"Always fighting me," he said, shaking his head and holding my hand hostage despite my attempts to pull it back. "Bella, don't you think I called him before I proposed?" I stopped pulling and glared at him. He smirked. "He asked me to bring you up so he could see the ring and discuss wedding arrangements. I just forgot to tell you," he said with a shrug.

"Forgot. You forgot to tell me. And having Alice break into my apartment while I'm at work is a so much better idea? Because somehow my phone stops working when I'm at the museum?" I was still stretched out across the console and the gear shift was still poking me uncomfortably, so I shifted away from it. That put my head almost into Edward's lap, causing him to swerve.

"Bella, I appreciate the offer, but I don't think road head in Friday afternoon rush hour traffic is a good idea," he said while righting the car, waving apologies to other drivers. Thankfully that also resulted in him letting go of my hand which in turn allowed me to sit upright. More honking ensued, but these drivers were giving him a thumbs-up rather than a one-fingered wave. I hung my head in mortification.

"Bella, love, you're tired," he said as he shifted down to speed around some people who seemed to think the left lane was the slow one. "You wouldn't be fighting with me if you were well rested."

"Um, I'm pretty sure I would be over this. Unilateral decisions…"

"Will sometimes have to be made by each of us," he interrupted. We were in the clear again so he took his hand off the gear shift to tenderly take mine. "Please lean your seat back. I promise to discuss boundaries with you when you wake up." He said the last as a question, glancing at me with a pleading face.

I huffed my annoyance. We were stuck in this car together for at least another three hours, and thanks to Alice dumping a half dozen bridal magazines on my table last night and my total inability to say no to her once I saw a few of the dresses, I was exhausted. He was right, lack of sleep wasn't a good thing when having an argument. Grandma Swan had said there was nothing wrong with going to sleep during an argument, it would still be there in the morning. If it was still there the next day, then you had a problem. Sometimes sleep allowed you to get a fresh perspective, or at the very least reduced homicidal tendencies.

Also, faking sleep would keep me from having to talk to him when what I really wanted to do was swear at him. In spite of my exhaustion, I'd never been very good at sleeping in cars.

"Relax, love," he whispered, "get some sleep."

"Easier said than done." My tone was still huffy and it made him snicker.

"You can argue with me when you wake up," he said with barely suppressed mirth.

"Count on it," I said. He laughed again, changing the CD to something mellow. "What is this?" I asked, sitting up some to listen.

He turned the volume down. "Sleep, Bella. I'll tell you when you wake up." With yet another huff I lay back, my thoughts racing over how I was going to convince this insane man to respect my space.

It was dark out when my eyes opened again. Edward was trailing his fingers gently up and down my arm. "Bella, love, we're here," he said. "Are you still hungry?"

My stomach answered for me, drawing a laugh from him. He was out of the car in a flash, the overhead light momentarily blinding me when it clicked on. It mercifully shut off, only to come on again when he opened my door for me. I looked into the restaurant and it seemed dark, odd for a Friday night. "Are you sure they're open?" I asked, stumbling in a sleep-induced haze behind him.

"Yep," he said, holding the door open for me. The first thing I saw was my dad, a huge smile on his face. I rushed into his arms, so happy to see him looking so well.

"Congratulations, Bells," he whispered into my ear.

"Thanks, dad. Why is it so dark in here?"

"Congratulations!" was shouted from all around me as the lights came on. It seemed as if half the town was shoved into the restaurant.

"What's going on?" I demanded, looking back to glare at Edward.

My dad laughed. "Don't blame him," he started, but I was being pulled into Sue's arms.

"My fault," she admitted, squeezing me tightly. "I wanted to throw you an engagement party and knowing how much you love spectacles, I figured this was the best way to get you here." She turned to Edward with a smile. "Did she fight you much?"

"Nah, I had Alice wear her out last night, so she slept almost the entire way here," he teased, putting his arms around me.

"Dad? Know any good places to hide dead bodies?" I asked.

* * *

This Edward cracks me up. I don't know why, but he's just too playful for his own good.

Have a great weekend!


	103. Chapter 103 Demolish

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Demolish  
**Plot Generator – Phrase Catch**: Soul Mates

* * *

"Sorry Bells, I can't allow you to murder Edward for going along with what Sue wanted. It sets a bad precedent, and I have to go home with her." My dad both managed to demolish all hopes of killing my fiancée and making the party goers laugh in one fell swoop with that. Truth is, he also made me smile.

"So, Sue is going home with you now?" I asked.

"Hmpf, we're adults," he said, a blush to match my own growing on his face. "Not like we're doing anything you aren't."

"Well, that's good to know," I teased him. His eyes opened wide then immediately turned to slits as he turned to glare at Edward.

"Er, I think your dad and Sue might be doing more than we are," Edward said quickly, just loud enough for my dad to hear.

"Well, that's good," Charlie said, his hand no longer twitching toward his gun.

Sue just rolled her eyes and laughed. "They're grown now, Charlie, don't be hypocritical. What they do is up to them." Slipping her arms into Edward and mine she pulled us to where half the town was waiting with piles of presents. "I told them you guys didn't want anything, that you already had two full households you had to merge, but naturally nobody listened." She leaned over to whisper in my ear, "I'd be careful opening some of them dear."

"What?" I asked, but she just pushed me forward. I found out what she meant right away.

The first present was from Mrs. Cope. She was retired now, her shocking red hair ending in a hard line about an inch from her scalp where it was completely grey. Her smile was a little too like a leer for my comfort. Edward ripped off the bow, then tore the paper to shreds despite my cry to save it because it was pretty. On the top of the box were kitchen towels, nicely generic to go into any décor. Underneath those, though, was something black, lacy and altogether embarrassing. Edward immediately grabbed that out and held it up to me amid hoots of laughter.

The next gift was much the same. Only this time it was bath towels and red lingerie. That was followed by matching hand towels and a dark blue silk nightie. "Oh, I like this one," Edward commented. "It's very nice against your skin." I'm not sure but it seemed Charlie might have been more willing to go along with my homicidal tendencies after that. Box after box of washcloths, towels, and other innocuous things were opened but with other, not so innocuous gifts underneath.

They weren't all for me, though. I think my blush turned purple when the leather thong with the zipper in front was given to Edward. I seriously contemplated crawling under the table when one older lady suggested he try it on and model it for everyone and that I might like to practice with the zipper.

Eventually the torment came to an end, though, the last present being a leather whip in case one of us had trouble keeping the other in line. Now I understood why so many people in our town eloped.

All kidding was put aside when Sue declared it was time to give advice to the new couple. I'd always heard about not going to bed angry, but many of the long-time married people disputed that by saying what you really needed was a cool head and sometimes sleeping on an issue was a good thing. Mrs. Newton told us that whatever we expected our spouse to do for the next seventy years we should ask for in the first two weeks. Mr. Marks told us that there were no such thing as soul mates, but our souls became mated as we worked together to make a family. Of all the advice I heard, the best came from Sue. "Love isn't the most important thing in marriage, honesty is. Harry and I lasted because we were always open and honest with each other, even if we knew it might hurt the other person's feelings a little. Just make sure your honesty isn't an attack."

Many heads nodded at that, so I figured it must be true. Edward glanced over at me with a smile, leaned in and whispered, "I honestly want to attack you now." I honestly replied by slapping his arm.

Since there was no way Charlie could afford to feed everyone, the party goers split up into couples and foursomes to sit together and order their own dinner. We sat with Sue and Charlie and began to discuss the wedding. Charlie laughed when he realized I wanted it smaller than the engagement party Sue had just thrown.

"I think the beach is a great idea," he said. "Certainly saves on having to rent a chapel."

The sun had long since set when everything broke up. Edward and I were planning on sleeping at Charlie's house, but once we learned Sue was there we considered going to the Forks Motel. "Nonsense," Sue said. "My house is empty since Leah and Seth are off at college. Why don't you two stay there? There's even three bedrooms to choose from, and the sheets are clean. Help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen in the morning, or just come over to your dad's and I'll cook something up."

Twenty minutes later I was directing Edward to the little house on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. My eyes were drooping as I handed him the key to unlock the door. Edward placed the bags just inside the door before reaching back to take my hand. He pulled me down the hallway, opening doors until he found the master bedroom. "Come on, love," he said, sitting me down on the bed. "Let's get you comfortable."

Very carefully he began to remove my clothes, leaving me in just my underwear. When I started to protest he replied that he was a doctor and so had seen it before with barely suppressed mirth. He laughed when I glared. "You know I'm going to see it in a couple months anyway," he murmured against my collarbone after kneeling between my knees. I could feel his hands wrap around me to unclasp my bra.

When it came loose I jumped and held the scanty material to my chest. "You aren't really going to do this on Sue's bed, are you?" I asked.

He snickered. "I suppose not." With a tug he pulled his own t-shirt over his head, righted it and put it over mine. "I don't want to dig through the luggage, why don't you wear this?" When I nodded, he yanked off my bra, looked at my chest with a sigh, and pulled my arms through the sleeves.

"I think I can get my pants off," I told him, yanking down the shirt.

"Are you sure I can't help you with that?"

"You need to get your own off," I said, then laughed when I saw the look in his eyes. "Not happening tonight, buddy," I told him as I unbuttoned my jeans and lowered the zipper, noticing that his eyes got wide as I did so. "Turn around."

With a huff of annoyance he did as he was told, allowing me to quickly strip off my jeans and jump under the covers. "You can turn back around now," I told him. When he did, his eyes met mine. Very slowly he reached down and began to undo each button. It was impossible for me to not look down and watch. He pushed the material off his hips even slower, making my breathing speed up as the material came down.

Clad in only his underwear he crawled into the bed on the side where I was, pulling me up against him. My hands came around his bare back as he lowered his lips to mine, his hands sliding up under his shirt and stopping just below my breasts. The kiss was slow and all-consuming, leaving me panting as my legs tried to wrap around him.

As soon as my tongue reached his lips he pulled away. "Goodnight, love," he whispered, disentangled himself from me, rolled over, plumped the pillow and lay his head down.

* * *

Um, I got most of what was listed here as presents at my bridal shower. Including the thong for Baboo with a zipper. And the whip. My poor mother was in shock, but I was crying I was laughing so hard. Twenty years later we still have the whip because it still makes us laugh.


	104. Chapter 104 Pure

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: M, Loudward (Note rating change!)  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Pure, Cure, Lure

* * *

I stared at his back in shock. He'd gone from kissing me in such a way that made me think that perhaps waiting was a really stupid idea to rolling over and turning his back on me. My shocked look began to morph into a glare when I noticed his shoulders shaking. He was laughing.

"I can feel your eyes burning holes in the back of my head," he said.

Two can play at this game. "Don't know what you're talking about," I replied as I turned my back on him.

In an instant he was spooning me. "Oh, but I think you do," he said, his warm breath tickling my ear. "You're mad at me."

I rolled my eyes as I turned around in his arms. "Yes, but only because you turned your back on me. Why?"

His fingers tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Because I know my limits, and you have no idea how strong the lure of pushing you past yours is." Rolling onto his back he pulled me into his side, resting my head in the crook of his shoulder. With his fingers running through my hair he continued. "I've made no secret of my desire for you. Kissing you in bed is probably not the best idea if you want to wait."

I sighed. He was a man, after all, and was most likely far more sexually frustrated than I was. "Maybe this is a bad idea."

His hand stopped and dropped onto the bed beside me. "You're right. There are other bedrooms. I'll go." With that he started to get up.

I missed his arm when I made to grab for it, and he wasn't wearing a shirt since it was on me, his jeans were on the floor, so that left only his underwear for me to latch onto to pull him back. This had the natural consequence of pulling them down his backside. And, oh, what a backside it was.

He spun around in surprise, causing the thin cloth to stretch in a totally unexpected way, revealing far more of him than either of us intended. My eyes went wide, looking at a part of him I didn't expect to see for a few months, standing tall, before darting up and seeing him looking just as surprised as I felt.

He grabbed the material, pulling it out of my hands and covered himself up and backing up a few steps. "Bella, don't toy with me. That's pure evil."

"I'm sorry," I stammered, my face burning so hot I wondered if it was possible to get the equivalent of a sunburn on the inside of your skin. "I didn't mean…I just didn't want you to leave." Sinking back I covered my face with my hands, wishing death by mortification was real.

Wrapping his fingers around my wrists he pulled my hands down. When my eyes opened it was easy to see that he was still aroused so I quickly looked away. "Bella," he said, calling me to look at him. My eyes ran up the wall, across the ceiling and back down his face. Anything to avoid looking _there_.

He chuckled. "Maybe you should look. It might cure you of your fear."

"I'm not afraid," I said, the tremor in my voice giving away the lie.

"I think you are. You aren't a virgin, what are you scared of?" He settled back onto the bed, sitting beside me and keeping hold of my hands.

"Just because I've had sex before doesn't mean I've seen…that," I said, waving my hands toward his underwear. "The lights were always off."

If it were possible I think his eyebrows would have taken up residence in his hairline. "Seriously?" At my nod he stood up from the bed and quickly removed the last article of clothing on his body.

"Edward" I yelled in protest, turning around and refusing to look at him.

"Oh, good grief," he said, returning to the bed, only this time laying out flat on his back. "Bella, roll over and look at me. I promise not to attack you." He reached over and tugged on my arm, pulling me close to him. "Just look. I don't bite, unless you want me to, that is."

My mind was at war, wanting to roll back to him and look and not wanting the temptation. If I looked could I not touch? Would we continue to push the envelope until we threw the whole thing out the window and attacked each other. In the end, he was impossible to resist.

He shuffled me around until I was once again laying my head in the crook of his shoulder. Only this time when I looked down his body there was no material blocking the view. Even the sheet was pushed away.

His stomach was flat, not as defined as when he was standing, but still showing ridges down his abdomen. The trail of hair that started at his navel continued on to where his sex was on full display. I couldn't help it. I started to chuckle.

"You know, laughing at me doesn't do much for my ego," he griped, pulling me up so I was forced to look into his eyes. "What is so funny?"

"I just remember Renee saying that guys looked better with clothes on," I said, trying not to laugh anymore and failing.

He tried to glare at me, but it looked more like he was trying not to laugh as well. Then his face changed. "Look at me, please?"

I gave a nod and sat up. His hands went behind his head, relaxing and watching me look at him. In truth, he was beautiful. My hand reached out and lightly touched his collarbone, his breath accelerating at my touch and other parts of him responding as well. "Touch me," he asked.

My fingers trailed down his sternum, feeling the ridges of his muscles as he shifted and his breathing deepened. I was fascinated by the muscles that angled in from his waist, tracing them before continuing down his leg. His groan of frustration over me skipping one part of his anatomy made me blush and laugh at the same time.

When my hand returned after making an examination of his leg I took a deep breath, met his eyes, and moved my hand where I knew he wanted it. His body shook with laughter when I jumped at making contact and it moved on its own. "Don't laugh at me, I didn't know you could do that."

"It's strictly involuntary, I promise," he said. "It happens in reaction to your touch." Wanting to see it again, I lightly traced my fingers down his length, eliciting a groan from him.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" I asked.

"No, but I'm about to hurt myself by not letting you continue." With that he threw the sheet over his body. "I'm afraid I won't be able to keep still any longer if we don't stop now." Looking up he saw my embarrassment and pulled me back down into his arms. "I just didn't want you to be afraid of me."

"Did you want to look at me?" I asked, feeling like I wasn't being fair.

"That wouldn't be a good idea, or we'd definitely be pushing past those boundaries you set." He kissed the top of my head and started to stroke my head again. "Why don't you get some sleep? We have to make arrangements for the wedding tomorrow and drive back to Seattle. It's going to be a long day."

I settled in, somehow feeling even more disconcerted than I had earlier, but also more relaxed. Edward began to hum tunelessly, helping me relax further, until I finally drifted off.

* * *

Sorry, but men look better in clothes, in my opinion, preferably a well-fitted suit. Male genitalia just isn't that attractive. Now, that's not to say I don't like a nice-sculpted chest, legs and arms. Or long, elegant fingers; that's what I first noticed about Baboo. He has beautiful, piano-player hands.


	105. Chapter 105 Streak

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Streak

* * *

Sue was in overdrive. When she'd ask if she could plan the wedding I'd realized it was either her or Alice. Sue seemed the lesser of two evils at the time. Who knew I'd be wrong?

Alice, meanwhile, snorted a laugh as I rolled my eyes in frustration when my step-mother called for the fifty-millionth time to ask a question. This time it was if I wanted the linens to be cotton or if some polyester blend was fine. If it didn't stop soon I'd be swearing a blue streak!

"You know," Alice quipped upon hearing me hang the phone up with Sue, "if you'd left this in my hands I'd have not bothered you with all this." Her face was smug as she dried the dishes I handed her. She and Jasper were over for the evening and the boys were queuing up a movie while we cleaned up.

"No, you'd have just made all the decisions without consulting me at all," I said, handing her another plate. "Why can't I have a happy medium? I want to make some decisions, but not all of them."

Alice paused in her dish-drying duties. "What input do you want to give?"

"Where, when, what time, colors and cake." I paused and thought a moment. "I want my dress and flowers to be white, and since Edward likes blue so much, I want our colors to be blue and white." I absently continued washing a fork. "The where is the beach, the when is in August, enough before school starts so we can go on a honeymoon and late enough in the day to not be too hot. Other than that?" I ran the fork under the water to rinse it and handed it over, "I really don't care."

"You know, I could work with Sue," she offered. Taking a look around my apartment she said, "I'm pretty sure I know what style you like, and I definitely know what Edward likes. I'll make choices and meet with you once a day to have you agree to them. Would that work?"

It sounded really appealing. "I don't want you to hurt Sue's feelings…"

She held up a hand to stop me. "Never. Charlie might shoot me."

When everything was cleaned and put away we settled in next to our guys and started the movie. I have no idea what it was about because about five minutes into it the phone rang again. This time Alice came with me and we both talked to Sue. She seemed actually thrilled to have someone help her. "I'm so worried I'll pick something you don't like. I thought I could do this but I have no idea what's popular now," she said. I felt guilty, I should have realized from the frequent calls what had her worried, but I missed it.

We spent at least a half an hour on the phone discussing what I cared about, then Alice and Sue really got into details. Every now and then Alice would look up and put her thumb up and down to see what I thought. Mine always went up, and it seemed like a great weight was lifted to know the planning was in their capable hands.

After Alice and Jasper left, Edward went to take a shower. He had to perform an operation in the morning, and so had to be at the hospital by six. In the time since we'd gotten engaged he'd all but moved into my apartment. Piece by piece his clothes had migrated over until he really had no reason to go across the hall anymore. He said he respected my boundaries, but it was apparent that we were of two minds about that. The man had no sense of modesty.

Knowing I had to move fast, I hurried into the bedroom to change, listening for the shower to stop. If he finished before me he'd not care if I was still undressed, he'd walk into the room anyway.

My t-shirt was in the hamper and I was sliding my jeans down my legs when I heard him. "Are you joining me?" I spun around, my legs tangled in my pants, and fell hard to the ground. Edward ran the few steps from the bathroom, a look of concern on his face and not a stitch of clothes on his body. "Are you all right?"

"Could you put on some clothes?" I griped, trying to pull my pants back up again. Not easy to do when they're wrapped up wrong.

"Why are you getting dressed again? Weren't you taking these off?" he asked as he grabbed the hem of both legs and tugged, effectively removing them from my body.

"Just because you enjoy streaking around doesn't mean I'm comfortable with it." My eyes were glued to his face, anything to avoid looking down at that glorious, naked, body.

"Maybe I want you to become comfortable with it. I'm more than willing to become comfortable with you streaking around," he said, his gaze drifting down to take in the fact that I was currently only in my underwear. "In fact, I'm more than willing to help you undress. We can declare your apartment an Edward and Bella nudist colony."

There was only one way to fight this. "Oh, that's a great idea!" I gushed. He was immediately cautious. "I wonder if Emmett would be willing to join? He's got such a great physique."

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Only two people are allowed in this colony."

"That works for me," I said, getting a lifted eyebrow in response. "I don't mind if you and Emmett prance around here nude all the time."

He rolled his eyes and stood up, pulling me with him. "We're going to be married in just over a month, Bella. I'm hoping we'll have a lot of activities in the nude."

"Yes, Edward, we will. Then. Not now."

"Fine, I'll wait until then to see you naked, but I like not wearing anything in front of you, so just accept it."

"Why?" I asked, still pointedly looking at his face.

His hands cupped my cheeks, feeling cool against the blush that was burning through them. "Because you're beautiful when you blush."

* * *

Serendiptious and SassyKathy were tweeting about all the great music in the seventies, and how it told stories. I, naturally, had to tweet jack and giggle about 'The Streak' and 'Junk Food Junkie', two songs that still crack me up. Kathy didn't remember the second one, but the first resulted in this prompt. Loudward would definitely be into streaking...


	106. Chapter 106 Dread

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Dread  
**Dialogue Flex**: "Hand me that wrench, will you?" he asked.

* * *

"So, am I moving into your apartment or are you moving into mine?" Edward asked as we waited for the popcorn to finish popping in the microwave. He had the evening off, and we always ended up watching movies on these nights. Not the most exciting thing, but it kept us out of the bedroom.

"Other than furniture, is there anything left over there? I'm fairly certain there must be a burgeoning population of dust bunnies by now." I was melting butter on the stove. Edward insisted it was healthier to pour our own fat onto the corn instead of the trans-fats included in the 'Movie-Butter' version of the microwave stuff. I had to agree it tasted better.

I could hear his mellow laughter over the staccato of the corn. "Burgeoning population? How much sleep did you get last night?"

Switching off the stove I turned to give him a glare. "About five hours, but I'll stay awake."

"Riiight," he teased, throwing a smile my way before returning to staring at the rotating bag. What is it about watching it that was so mesmerizing? I walked over and put my arms around his waist, rested my head on his shoulder and realized he just might be correct. I was exhausted.

"Maybe I need some caffeine," I said, mentally counting the seconds between pops now. Apparently Edward was doing the same thing since he opened the door just as I made to reach for it. The smell of freshly popped corn intensified in the room as he grabbed the bag out, tossing it from hand to hand because of the heat as he walked out of my arms over to where the bowl was waiting.

"Do you have to be up in the morning?" he asked as he dumped out the bag. "My shift doesn't start until two in the afternoon, so I'm good to stay up."

"No. Dr. Banner has to meet with the docents, and so there are no tours," I answered around a yawn, eliciting more laughter from him.

"I don't think even a coke will do it. Why don't we just bag the movie and come up with something else?" he asked as he began to meticulously pour the butter over the popcorn. I never did this task because for some reason I always got it wrong. Edward was very particular about his butter to popcorn ratio, shaking the bowl so that each kernel was coated just right.

I groaned. "I dread the thought of what you might come up with. I'm sure it'll involve nudity in some way."

His face lit up. "We could do nude movie night," he said excitedly, not noticing that the butter was moving off the popcorn and onto my counter.

"Hey, watch what you're doing," I said, grabbing for the bowl to move it back under the stream. "I don't need my counters buttered."

The way his eyes darkened and he looked at me told me just what he considered would be good buttered, so I rolled my eyes at him and went for a dishcloth. "Just take care of the popcorn, Romeo, while I clean this up." Famous last words.

As soon as I twisted the handle all hell broke loose, or more realistically, the handle itself broke loose. A shower of water shot up, drenching me and the entire kitchen. Edward immediately bent over to cover the popcorn, typical guy, protecting the food, and rushed it out to the family room before returning, all while I was trying to staunch the flow with my bare hands.

"Where's the water shut off?" he asked.

"Bathroom," I replied, moving my hands to try to divert the flow down the drain instead of up into the air. It was obvious when he found it because the water pressure tapered down to a trickle before cutting off completely.

Looking around at the devastation of my kitchen I could feel tears forming behind my eyes. Hmm, guess I was more tired than I thought. Locking down that reaction I glanced at Edward, only to see water dripping from his hair and down his forehead. Instantly my emotions switched to mania as laughter burst from me.

"You think this is funny, go find a mirror," he said with a smile. He shook his head to dislodge the water, and I cried out to stop him. "What, you think it's going to get more wet?" he asked, continuing to shake his head. "I'm going for my toolbox."

As he headed across the family room to the front door I went around to the pantry to retrieve the mop. Edward rushed over to the sink as I pulled out a bucket to wring the mop into. He worked for a while tearing things apart, water still dripping from his forehead. "Hand me that wrench, will you?" he asked, pointing to the tool just out of his reach. I wanted to pause and watch him, but knew I needed to get the water up.

We both worked in relative silence. Edward grunted when a part was sticking and he had to apply force to undo a bolt. I groaned when I lifted the bucket now full of water to empty in the bathtub since I couldn't get to the sink. As I watched the second bucket-full go down the drain I happened to look down and see the trail of water I was leaving as I moved between the two rooms. The next day I knew I would use my tiredness to excuse my actions, but at this point I just found the idea funny.

Stripping down I placed my dripping clothes in the bathroom sink and carried the bucket back to the kitchen. It was nice not to have jeans squelching and chaffing as I walked. I stopped at the linen closet and grabbed out a number of towels. Now that the majority of the water was off the floor I thought I'd start drying the cabinets and work my way down.

Edward had his back to me when I returned, his own clothes still dripping some on the floor, so I started at the farthest point the water had reached. Stretching up on my toes I swung the towel up, trying to hit the droplets out of my reach, smiling when I was successful. The sound of sawing on metal reached my ears, and I glanced over to see him cutting away what seemed to be a corroded section of pipe. I turned my back on him and continued.

Ten minutes later, the upper cabinets now dry, I heard a tool fall to the floor with a loud thud, followed by a loud oath. "Bella, what are you doing?" he demanded.

I turned to see him staring at me, his mouth hanging open as he looked me up and down. I glared at him and draped the damp towel in front of me. "Drying the kitchen, what does it look like?"

"Naked?" I'm pretty sure his voice went up an octave when he asked that question.

"My clothes and hair were wet, and if I put on something else it would get wet too. This way I'll stay relatively dry." Noticing I was closing in on him and that his clothes were still dripping I continued. "You should take off your clothes as well. You're dripping." A huge yawn followed, and I heard his indrawn breath when I used the hand holding the towel to cover my mouth, forgetting it was covering my body.

"Um, Bella, why don't you go put something on?" he asked, his voice sounding pained. Maybe his jeans were chafing.

"Why? You walk around naked all the time," I said through another yawn. Reaching my hand out I said, "Take your clothes off, they're dripping on the floor. I'll put them in the sink with mine."

He fixed me with a look and began to unbutton his shirt. I watched his eyebrow go up when I yawned again as he pulled the wet material from his body. "Bella, why don't you go to bed? I can finish up in here," he said as he handed me his shirt.

"Don't be silly, give me your pants," I insisted, holding out my hand. The kitchen swayed a bit as each button was undone on his jeans and they came off of his hips. When I had them in my hand I turned around, figuring it was fine if he kept his boxers on. It seemed odd that my face wasn't flaming when I saw his reaction to my nakedness, but I just laughed at his indrawn breath when I turned around and headed back for the bathroom.

As I was squeezing out the water I saw him come up behind me in the mirror. One of his t-shirts was put in front of me as he pleaded, "Please put this on?"

Turning I challenged him. "Why? It'll just get wet, and I'm already soaked."

He groaned and took his wet clothes from my hands, placing them back into the sink. When my hands were free he threaded them through the sleeves of his t-shirt, lifted my arms and pulled the shirt over my head. Placing a kiss on my nose he whispered, "Honey, you're very tired. I'll take care of this."

"But…"

"If you don't get something more on soon and go to bed we're not going to make it to our wedding night," he said, his voice barely controlled.

"If you insist," I said hesitantly, voicing another huge yawn.

"More like beg," he replied, pushing me in front of him. "Um, I might even sleep at my place tonight."

"No," I cried, turning around and wrapping my arms around him. "I don't think I can sleep without you beside me."

He took another deep breath. "Fine, but I might, um, be a while with the, um, sink."

"Okay," I said around another yawn as I squeezed him tight, pressing my chest against him and feeling his reaction below. Reaching up I placed a kiss on his chin. "Love you," I murmured and turned away.

Walking into my bedroom I couldn't resist the huge grin that split my face. Revenge was sweet. I seriously doubted he'd be walking around in the buff again until after our wedding.

* * *

You all knew Bella would be getting him back, right?

I prefer to pour real butter over popcorn instead of having the nasty fake stuff that comes in microwave bags.


	107. Chapter 107 Stem

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Stem, phlegm, hem

* * *

My feet hurt. There was no avoiding it, though, since the hem on my wedding dress had to be measured with me standing in the shoes I'd actually be wearing. What this translated to was the fact that this was the third time that measurement was taking place.

"But I like the heels," Alice whined, holding up a pair of stilettos that made me cringe just looking at them. My feet had started to ache after ten minutes, prompting the search for different shoes. It was at this point that I wanted to kiss Sue.

"She's going to be on her feet all day, moving to lower heels makes sense," she said. "I think the ballet flats are a bit low, though." We'd moved from the four-inch towers of death, to a more reasonable two-inch heel, and finally to the ballet shoes that now donned my feet. These I could imagine running around in all day.

"I'm gonna hab enuf trouble staying standing ab it ib," I said snottily. My revenge had been sweet, until I found out that karma had a boomerang effect. Walking around soaking wet, in the nude, in an air-conditioned apartment had the unfortunate consequence of giving me a sinus infection. I had enough phlegm in my nose to render it totally useless. Antihistamines only made me wired, doing nothing to dry me out.

"Oh, you'll be fine by then," Alice said, waving away my concern. "Edward's already got you on an antibiotic, right?"

"Righb," I said with a nod. Sue's eyes grew large in her reflection, and I turned to look at her. "Whab?"

"Are you on the pill?" she asked, looking rather nervous.

"Yes," I said with a nod. "We don' wanna hab a baby for a while."

"And the wedding is in two weeks?" she probed. When I nodded, my confusion evident on my face, she continued. "Are you planning on using condoms then?"

Now I was really confused. "Whab do you mean?"

"Bella, antibiotics make contraceptives ineffective. You're much more likely to get pregnant if you don't use something else." Alice and I just stared at her as if she'd grown a third head. "Surely someone has told you this before?"

We both shook our heads negatively. "Oh, greab," I said, my arms flying out with my frustration. "Dob Ebward know about bis?"

"He's a doctor, he should, right?" Sue said.

"He's a cardiologist," I said, my shoulders sagging, "not an OB/GYN."

"Oh," Sue and Alice said in concert, then looked at each other and giggled.

I swayed a little on the stand as the seamstress continued to pin around my dress. She had chuckled a few times while listening to us, but when pressed refused to give any advice on how I should approach this with my fiancé. She did advise me to drink lots of orange juice and to have Alice and Sue help me change. One could keep me from falling over while the other removed my dress. I hated being sick.

Hours later I was awakened from a much needed nap by a handsome doctor feeling up my forehead. "I'm afraid I'm not bery sexy righb now," I huffed, trying to breathe between the words.

"I don't know. I really liked the snoring mixed with sniffling and coughing," he said before leaning over to place his lips where his hand had been. I gave him an evil glare, making him laugh. "You're fever is up. Let's get some ibuprofen in you. Esme sent over some soup." The thought of her soup really cheered me up, so I allowed him to drug me in anticipation of being fed.

Twenty minutes later I felt much better as Edward cleared away my cup and soup bowl. He gathered me in his arms, letting me enjoy the warmth of his body. He was much better than a blanket for keeping the chills away.

"Dib you know thab antibiotics mabe birf control ineffectif?" I asked him as I snuggled into his shoulder.

He let out a sigh. "I just found out today." Shuffling around he lay beside me, moving me so I couldn't breathe in his face. It only made sense. We wouldn't want both of us to be sick.

"Whab are we gonna do?" I asked, fitting my head back into his shoulder and yawning loudly. I'd slept at least an hour after the last fitting, but still felt as if I could go through the night. It didn't escape my notice that it was only seven in the evening.

He chuckled. "Well, there's always Russian Roulette." I smacked his chest, causing him to grunt. "Sorry, not funny. It just stems from me not wanting to wear a condom." He let out a large sigh, squeezing me close. "I'll go to the store tomorrow and pick some up."

"Thank you," I said, not wanting to get them myself. The combination of his warmth, the pills, a full stomach and still feeling tired began to pull me under. Wrapping my body around his I snuggled in even deeper. "Although, Russian Roulette sounbs fun, too," I murmured. His body stiffened just as my eyes drifted closed.

* * *

Sorry! I've had this ready to post since Friday, but the weekend was so busy with my daughter's birthday, family, city party and all that I forgot.


	108. Chapter 108 Sofa

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Sofa

* * *

One week to go to the wedding and I was seriously stressed out. Not by the wedding, Alice and Sue were working wonders with that. No, it was moving day for Edward, and we had help. Lots of help. The kind of help where everyone has an opinion and after five minutes you want to strangle them all.

"Put the sofa over there," Alice directed, having Emmett move my favorite piece of furniture to a place where the sun would glare off the page and the television if it were turned in that direction.

"No," I said, halting my future brother-in-law in his tracks. "It stays where it's at."

"But that messes up the feng shui with Edward's chair," Alice said, her hands taking up residence on her hips.

"The only feng that chair is going to shui is the dump," I insisted. "Put the couch back."

"His chair is a classic…"

"Piece of modern food-stain art that attracts ants. It's not entering my apartment." At this point I was cursing Edward for so happily agreeing to take an extra shift at the hospital. He tried to sound sad on the phone, but his laugh when I called him a big faker was simply too joyful to doubt. Even the threat of disposing of his favorite chair hadn't swayed him. I was left dealing with his sister and her newest obsession. Where was Esme when I needed her?

"I don't know, Bella, I think it can be cleaned," Renee added. My mother had flown in the day before and was reveling in rearranging with Alice. My only hope was that Emmett was as tired of moving furniture as me.

"Then clean it and pack it and ship it to Florida," I ranted. "It's not coming in my front door."

"You'd be a lot less snippy if the energy in your apartment flowed better," Renee said, getting a nod from Alice. Picking up her phone she looked up an upholstery cleaner, asking him to come out right away. Emmett just put the sofa back on the floor and sat on the back, wordlessly waiting for the women to make up their minds.

"Bella, are you sure you want Edward's bed frame with your dresser?" Jasper called from where he was setting up our bedroom. "His is maple and yours is cherry. I saw on HGTV that you shouldn't mix woods."

That's it, I was cancelling everyone's subscription to basic cable. It was enough that Edward and I had spent hours hashing out what we wanted, now I had to defend it all to everyone else? And the coward wasn't even here.

"Emmett, couch back, now. Jasper, finish the bed and move mine into the guest bedroom. Alice, please go through Edward's kitchen supplies and mine, look for duplicates and throw out the worst one…"

"You may want to keep some of those," Renee interrupted. I took a deep breath, knowing I should probably call those 'Hoarders' people to investigate my mother's home. The woman kept everything.

"No! If there are duplicates, unless they are new in the box, throw one out." Alice rolled her eyes at me but went to do as she was asked. "Mom, please gather all the throw pillows together and see if any will coordinate."

It took some effort, but I finally got everyone moving in the right direction. The only disruption was when the cleaners came, but they made short work of all the furniture everyone thought we should keep. I knew there would be plenty of fine-tuning in the morning when Edward was here, but for now we just needed the basics. Having each person assigned to a separate room seemed to be the ticket to me not losing my sanity, much less my temper. The fact that I was still sneezing every now and then didn't help, but that could have been the dust. I don't think Edward even knows what a dust cloth is, much less how to use one.

Emmett hooked up Edward's stereo surround system for me, having me sit in the sweet-spot to make sure the sound levels were right on each speaker. The living room was an eclectic mix of furniture. None of the woods matched, none of the pieces coordinated, but when it was finally laid out the way I had visualized, it was comforting and cozy. Even Alice approved.

While I was standing in the kitchen, rearranging what Alice had put where, Edward finally returned home. "Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind and placing a kiss on my cheek.

"Yes, but the design divas were here earlier, and I'm fixing things."

His breath tickled my ear when he laughed. "Sorry about that…"

"Sure you are," I interrupted, hip-checking him to push him away as I moved the silverware back to the drawer in which I originally had it. "You think I can't tell your happy voice? You were thrilled to not be here for this."

"Yeah, you're right," he said, laughing when I huffed at him in annoyance. "But the good news is it got the furniture cleaned."

Smiling up at him I agreed. "Yep, that worked like a charm. You were right."

"I usually am," he said, bending down to give me a kiss.

* * *

I'm heading out to the Shakespeare Festival tomorrow morning, very early, and I'll be without internet. As a result there probably won't be another update until Monday.

xoxo!


	109. Chapter 109 Suspicious

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Suspicious, malicious, delicious

* * *

I woke to piercing blue eyes staring at me. Right below those eyes was a huge smile, followed by a body practically quivering in excitement. Just seeing her so happy made me immediately suspicious. "Good morning?" I asked.

Alice giggled. "Oh, it's going to be a very good morning, followed by an even better afternoon, but I'm fairly positive the night will be the best of all." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, giggling again when I rolled my eyes.

"He's your brother, Alice. The fact that you're so interested in his sex life is just wrong." I stretched as she bounced off the bed. In spite of my words I had to agree with her; tonight would be the best of all. Until then, I had a wedding to get through.

"Like you're not focusing on that right now," she said from the doorway. "Get up, showered and dressed. We have eight hours until the wedding, and every minute is scheduled."

With a groan I hauled myself out of bed. At least she'd let me sleep in, and considering that sleep was the last thing I intended to do tonight, that was a very good thing. Rushing through my shower I just made sure everything was clean. We were going to a spa, where I would be pampered, waxed and buffed, so I didn't worry about doing any of that here. Alice had even arranged to have my legs waxed, insisting I wouldn't want to worry about shaving while on my honeymoon. That had seemed like a good idea until she told me I couldn't shave my legs for at least a week prior in order to allow the hair to grow in enough.

With my hair towel dried and wearing nothing but comfy clothes I allowed Alice to whisk me away. Sue, Esme and my mom met us at the spa where we were all given robes and directed to change.

I was greeted by Sara, the girl who would be torturing me today, with a smile. Apparently hair removal was the first thing to have done. My eyebrows had been waxed before, so when they were done I barely flinched. This in no way prepared me for the malicious torture that was to come.

Sheets of hair were ripped from my legs, making me bite my tongue to halt any swear words and profanities. I had read iThe Hunger Games/i and thought Katniss complained a bit too much when they removed her body hair, but now completely sympathized. Eyebrows were nothing in comparison to a panty line. Sara apologized profusely with each strip removed, instructing me to breathe deeply. I'm fairly certain she thought I wanted to kill her, but it wasn't her death I was fantasizing over. Surely shaving every couple days wasn't so bad?

After all the hair, and a good many layers of skin, had been removed, I was pointed to a shower with a special soap. It removed any leftover wax and cooled my skin, for which I was thankful. Visions of Edward sticking to me in an inappropriate place seemed funny but would be highly embarrassing, and I most certainly wasn't interested in having my skin red and blotchy in my wedding pictures.

Fully clean Sara next led me into a room where the air was humid and heavily scented. Alice was being rubbed down with a sugar scrub, groaning with pleasure. Esme and Sue were soaking in tubs. I could see privacy screens, but the ladies had pushed them to the sides so they could talk.

"How're you feeling, honey?" Renee asked from behind me.

"Like I've been peeled," I replied, holding up one leg. "I don't think the redness has completely gone away." My hands flew to my brows, panicked over what they must look like. "My face isn't all splotchy is it?"

"We'll take care of that," Sara assured me, pointing to a table. "Let me get you scrubbed down, and more the redness will fade as you soak." My disbelieving eyebrow rose, but it wasn't as if there were other choices available, so I submitted myself to her ministrations.

After lowering myself into the tub Sara set up a station behind me. Looking at the others I could see they were all having facials, so leaned my head back on the shelf. After the pain of hair removal this was heaven. Sara gave me a face and scalp massage before applying a cooling mask. Then she and the other workers got up and left us to soak.

"Are you nervous?" Renee asked. It made sense to assume she was speaking to me.

"A little," I admitted, thankful the mask hid my blush.

"What are you nervous about?" Esme asked. "Alice and Sue have everything taken care of. You just need to show up."

"I think she's talking about tonight," Alice said around another giggle. Her mask was hardening, making her unable to move her lips very well, which set me to laughing.

"You sound like you're talking through a hole in a fence," I said, making the others laugh.

"Quit talking," Esme said with a laugh of her own. "My face is cracking."

That set off more laughter, but then we settled down. My eyes were already shut since they had cucumbers on them, so I just let my mind drift. Edward told me we were going to a private beach for our honeymoon. One of the doctors he worked with had a house in South Carolina he was loaning us as a wedding present. I'd seen pictures and it looked heavenly. Edward and I had also discussed things we wanted to do. Once again I was grateful for the mask hiding my blush, because there was really only one activity I was interested in pursuing. Surely we'd have to eat and use the bathroom, but there wasn't anything else that sounded as good as lying in bed with him all day and night. When I'd mentioned this he'd laughed and told me I'd be sore and need a break, so made a list of local sights anyway.

Just as my stomach began rumbling Sara and her coworkers came back in to wash the masks from our faces. Behind them were others carrying trays filled with delicious smelling soup and small sandwiches. We were given the chance to rinse off once again before settling in at a table to eat.

"Alice, how much is this costing?" I asked. It didn't escape my notice that Esme looked away.

"It's a gift, so nothing," she quipped, biting into a sandwich to halt any further conversation.

"It's exorbitant, isn't it?" I whined. "I love it, don't get me wrong, but…"

"But nothing," Esme cut in. "Alice and I wanted to have a spa day to prepare, and we couldn't leave you out since you're the bride, which also meant including your mothers. Trust me, it's pure selfishness on our part."

"I doubt there's a selfish bone in your body," I said, reaching over to hug her. "Thank you. This is wonderful."

After eating we were separated again. The rooms weren't big enough to accommodate us all in the same activity at the same time, so while Alice and I got pedicures and manicures, Esme, Renee and Sue had their hair and makeup done. We then switched places. The afternoon flew by, and the next thing I knew Sara led me into my original changing room where my wedding dress was now hanging.

"The dress shop delivered all your dresses just after lunch," she explained when I asked. Leaving me alone she let me get my undergarments on before knocking on the door.

"Come on in," I said, trying to determine how best to get the dress on.

"Let us help you with that," I heard Esme say. Turning I saw them all in their wedding finery. They must have gotten ready at the speed of light. Either that or I was taking forever.

"Please," I replied, stepping back so Alice could take the dress off the hanger. Working together they lifted it up and slid it past my newly coifed hair and face, making sure the correct arm went into the correct hole and my head came out the top. While Esme and Sue buttoned the tiny buttons on my sleeves, Alice and Renee worked on the ones down the back. While the design was simple it was also quite modest, covering me from neck to toe and both arms. I wanted full coverage on the beach; it could get quite cold.

After much arranging Renee caught her breath. "Look at yourself," Alice whispered, turning me toward the full-length mirror.

I started breathing deeply to fend off my own tears. In the reflection stood a woman of grace and beauty. Her eyes were large, her smile was soft, and her hair fell in soft tendrils around her face. "Perfect," I whispered.

"Come on, let's make you a married woman," Esme said, taking my hand. Renee grabbed the other while Alice and Sue lifted my trailing skirt from behind. I was met with clapping as we went into the spa's lobby, along with shouts of congratulations. Out the front doors I could see a limo waiting to take me off to First Beach, and Edward.

* * *

Wow! I'm so sorry it's been over a week. I'll try to do better, but this week is crazy busy.


	110. Chapter 110 Bookshelf

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Bookshelf  
**Plot Generator – Phrase Catch**: "It's a perfect day to…"

* * *

Charlie was waiting in the parking lot when we pulled up. "It's about time," he said as he helped us out, his voice a mix of emotions. I looked in his eyes and could see a tear building before he dashed it away.

Alice, Esme, Sue and Renee all left me standing with him as they went to take their seats. I watched them go, looking beyond to see I could see Edward, but he wasn't there. My eyes roved the beach, wondering where he could be, panic starting to build as my heart began to beat faster.

"Quit fretting," Charlie said beside me, pulling my arm through his. "That boy would never stand you up. He called me frantic because his car has a flat. That's why you don't see Emmett and Rosalie, they're going to pick him up." He chuckled. "Only you, Bells. This would only happen to you."

I leaned my head on his shoulder. "I know."

We stood there in silence for a while, Charlie shifting around so he could put his arm around my shoulders and pull me into a hug. The sun was touching the top of the ocean when he whispered, "I'm glad you found a good one. He really loves you. When I saw the way he looked at you in the hospital I knew I'd lost you, that he'd win you over eventually."

"You haven't lost me, dad," I said, feeling the prick of tears and taking a deep breath to ward them off. "Edward has been offered a position at the hospital when he's done with his residency, and I'll be finished with my doctorate by then so we plan to move back."

"Yes, because the Lumber Museum is in desperate need of a curator with a Ph. D.," Charlie quipped, rolling his eyes. "You should dream bigger than that, Bella."

The sound of tires squealing around the corner reached us. There was my groom, standing up in the back of Emmett's jeep, his hair even crazier from the wind and wearing a white tux to match my white dress.

"I'd say my dream is plenty big, dad," I replied with a laugh as I watched Edward jump out of the back of the jeep and run toward me. "I doubt I can handle much more than him."

Charlie laughed as Edward came to a halt in front of me. "I'm so sorry," he said as he pulled me from my father's arms into his own. "I've been looking forward to this day for so long, I just about died when my tire went flat."

"You're here now, that's what matters," I said against his chest.

"But you're supposed to be over there," Charlie said, pulling me back and waving to where the minister was now standing. "Go on, and I'll bring her to you. It's a perfect day to get married, so let's get this show on the road."

Edward beamed and shocked both of us by leaning over and hugging Charlie. "Thanks," he said before rushing over to stand next to his father.

The wedding ceremony was a blur. I remember hearing music and wondering where it came from, Charlie smiling through red-rimmed eyes as he gave me away, and the sound of devotion when Edward said 'I do.' But the moment that will always stand out in my mind was the way the last rays of the sun glinted off of his auburn hair as he whispered 'Finally' once the minister declared us man and wife and his lips met mine.

Edward had kissed me before, but never like this. This was the kiss that all other kisses could be measured by. Our family started to laugh, and yet he continued to kiss me, apropos of nothing. Cheers and clapping started, yet the kissing continued. It wasn't until Carlisle pulled him away that he stopped, his eyes burning and full of promise as he held me close.

We had a bonfire reception on the beach, complete with roasted hot dogs. I was warm with Edward on one side of me and the fire on the other as we laughed with family and friends. Alice set up her ipod, and we all danced in the sand. The cake was three tiers high, looked like sea foam, had shells decorating each tier and was topped with a bride and groom dolphin to go along with the beach theme.

The stars were bright above when Edward tugged on my hand. "I think we can leave, don't you?" he asked quietly in my ear. His hand slipped down my back, molding me to him and making me shiver. "Cold?" he asked huskily, placing both arms around me.

"No, not cold," I replied, wrapping my arms around his waist. Music was playing and he began to sway with me, our feet never moving. He lowered his head and began to kiss me like he had at the end of our ceremony, but with a distinct difference. Where that kiss had been about a sealing love, this one had a growing heat behind it. My breathing picked up as my hands flattened on his back, using the leverage to press my body close, grateful for his hands holding me up as my knees went week.

"Let's go," he said against my lips, his voice rough and wanting. All I could do was nod as I regained my balance. Looking around I could see the group lining up to say goodbye. We were passed down, showered with hugs and kisses until we finally ran out of loved ones and got into Emmett's jeep. "He's taking my car in to have the tire fixed in the morning," Edward explained when I asked about the vehicle. "We'll pick it up tomorrow."

"We'll still be in town?"

Edward smiled at me. "Yes, we aren't going far." We pulled up to an inn and Edward got our luggage out and led the way to our room carrying both suitcases. He'd already checked in, assuring me he used a fake name so his family couldn't track us down, so all we had to do was walk through the door. I stood in the hallway. "Would you like me to carry you over the threshold?" he asked as he set the suitcases just inside the door next to a large bookshelf filled with curios, hard-covered books and DVDs. "I'd be happy to if you want" he offered, holding out his arms.

"No, I'm okay," I said, taking a deep breath and taking that last step that moved me from the past I knew to the future that terrified me.

Edward could see my nervousness. "We'll make it," he assured me as his arms came around me. "You've seen the worst of me and still said yes, we can face whatever comes together." I nodded against his chest, relaxing in his arms. This was comfortable. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous," I admitted. "You?"

He laughed. "Horny," he said, pressing me close so I could feel the evidence of his answer. "Would you like to change?" I rolled my eyes and nodded, moving to my suitcase to open it when I felt his hands at my back. "Do you need help with the buttons?" I'd forgotten about those, so nodded again.

It seemed to take an eternity before he was even half-way down my back. By then thoughts of changing had left my head. The light brush of his fingers against my skin set me ablaze. When he finally reached my waist I turned quickly and attacked, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him for all I was worth. I never did get changed.

* * *

Sorry to all out there who wanted a sex scene, but this seemed like a natural place to end it. There is just an epilogue for these two!

Now a question: Do any of you want me to go back and finish any other stories, or can I just flounce and deal with the plot bunnies bouncing in my head?


	111. Chapter 111 Rocket

**Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s)**: T, Loudward. This is for mamacat20 who requested seeing Loudward surrounded by children.  
**Disclaimer**: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization.  
**Prompt**: Rocket  
**Dialogue Flex**: "Dance with me," he asked.

* * *

"No! Don't wanna mommy! I'm not dirty!" my five-year old son shouted at me as I tried to wrestle him into the tub. He was a Cullen all right; wrestling seemed to be genetic.

So did noise.

As I grappled with my mud-covered child I could hear the two middle boys, thirteen and eleven, arguing over the last cookie in the jar. Our fifteen- and seventeen-year-olds were sure they were going to be the next great rock stars and were jamming discordantly in the garage. The girls, aged seven and nine, were giggling loudly as they arranged the hair on our very tolerant golden retriever just outside the bathroom door. The look he gave me was one of resigned martyrdom as if he understood what I was feeling at that moment. He didn't know that I blamed him for the current trouble of wrestling with my youngest. After all, it was chasing him that led the child into the mud.

To be fair, the dog jumped over the mess. The child, in true Uncle Emmett fashion, plowed right through, thinking it was great fun to splash a bit before he heard me scream.

It turns out the accident in my youth didn't render me infertile after all. In all honestly, by the time the fifth child was born, I was wondering if it rendered me impervious to birth control, including tube tying. Condoms were no better; Edward must have super-sperm. The morning I woke up retching with morning sickness from the seventh he finally agreed to a vasectomy. It was either that or divorce, I threatened. For some reason he thought divorce was worse. I made him go back and be checked three times before I'd let him touch me again. The fact that I was already pregnant was irrelevant, I wasn't taking any chances.

My hair was coming out of the hot rollers and I made the mistake of reaching up to secure them when my youngest got loose. "NO!" I yelled as he giggled and streaked out of the tub, leaving water and mud in his wake as he rocketed out of the bathroom, jumped over the girls causing them to shriek and cry about getting their clothes dirty, and head for the front door.

I tried to hold my robe closed as I took off after the little miscreant, yelling to my middle boys to guard the doors, all the while doubting they could hear me over the racket coming from the garage.

As I slid into the living room the child opened the front door. On the other side was my salvation, or the cause of all this trouble, depending on my mood. Right now it was the latter.

"Whoa, buddy," Edward said with a laugh, grabbing our child and holding him at arm's length. "Looks like you're supposed to be in the tub, little man."

"Nope, not dirty," the child stated seriously. "Mommy's wrong. I wanna play guitars."

Edward glanced over at me, took in my disheveled state, then let his gaze trail around the room. Toys were everywhere. Milk was spilled on table visible through the living room where the two middle boys were taking a measuring tape out to cut the remaining cookie in half, leaving the drawer hanging open behind them. The dog came down the hall, covered in ribbons and bows, to take refuge behind Edward while the girls followed, leaving a trail of ribbon behind them.

"ANTHONY! JACOB!" Edward's voiced boomed, causing the racket in the garage to cease. All the other children stopped where they were, gazing at their father like little soldiers awaiting orders. Even little Joshua stopped wriggling in his hands. Why couldn't I do that?

The older boys came running around the corner behind Edward. "Hey, dad, welcome home. What's up?" Anthony asked, the picture of innocence.

"What is supposed to happen tonight?" Edward asked him, taking in Jacob.

"Mom's fund-raiser at the museum," Jacob answered, looking at me apologetically. He wasn't a bad kid, just ego-centric like most children.

"Does she look ready to go? Does this house look ready for her to leave?" Edward demanded. Scuffling of toes and clearing of throats ensued, followed by more apologetic looks. "Anthony, take Joshua and get him cleaned up. Jacob, you're in charge of dinner; Max and John _will_ do the dishes," he said, looking pointedly at the middle boys. "Grace and Susie, I want all the toys picked up, the dog cleared of ribbons, and the mud wiped up. Anthony, when you're done with Joshua help Jacob with dinner, make sure everyone eats properly, chores get done, and this house is spotless. Are there any questions?"

Despite his booming voice little Susie giggled. "If we do evewything do we get ice cweam?" she said after raising her hand. She knew her father well. His roar might be loud enough to be heard over a maxed out amplifier, but he was still a teddy bear. The corner of Edward's mouth twitched and all the younger kids cheered. Anthony asked if he could borrow the car to go on a date the next night.

Edward walked over and put his arms around me. I could feel my stress drain away as he set the kids in motion. With a kiss he whispered, "Don't you need to get ready?"

I nodded and walked to our bedroom. Charlie's prediction had come true, I am the curator for the lumber museum. Only, it is a real museum now. Thanks to my degree, and Dr. Banner to a large extent, I managed to arrange with large museums to have priceless works of art come to our little town on tour. The exhibits were usually small, but the school board, arts council and mayor all appreciated my efforts to expose the children to famous works. There is a thriving educational program that I lead, and many a school field-trip comes through my halls. The biggest problem is paying for the exhibits, hence the fundraiser.

Looking in the mirror I sighed. Joshua had managed to get mud all over my face and into my hair. So much for classy and elegant. Stripping out the rollers I turned on the shower and washed myself head to toe, again. In another twenty minutes my hair was wound into a chignon, my best dress was on along with my best heels, and I stepped out of my bedroom to see the kids sitting around the huge table demolishing the casserole I'd managed to start before putting my hair in rollers.

Edward looked resplendent in his tux, in direct counterpoint to the rules he was running down on how to behave when the parents are gone and the Disney soundtrack playing softly in the background. His eyes met mine and he stopped mid-sentence. The kids followed his gaze and began telling me how pretty I looked, which turned to groans, giggles and fake-retching when Edward came to my side and kissed me soundly.

Pulling me into the living room he gathered me in his arms once more. "Dance with me," he asked, and then began to twirl me around the room without waiting for an answer.

"You're late Doctors Cullen!" Anthony called from the kitchen, causing the rest of the kids to laugh and start telling us to leave. It took some effort but I finally got Edward to stop dancing and head for the door.

We arrived at the party to see Alice in her element. She planned every year's event. This year was a focus on Degas, since we were hoping to entice The Metropolitan Museum of Art to send us a few paintings, so the waitresses were dressed like ballerinas. The whole town turned out for the soiree since it was really the only big fancy party held each year. Thankfully they also opened their wallets. Even with a poor economy, or maybe especially because of it, parents who wanted their children to be taught about art donated all they could afford since they couldn't possibly take them to New York and see the museums there.

By the end of the night my cheeks were hurting from smiling and my feet ached from my shoes. The two docents from the Met were suitably impressed by the local support and had promised to send five of the most well-known paintings. My head was already formulating lessons about Degas and these particular works so I didn't notice Edward had driven in the wrong direction.

"What are we doing at the inn?" I asked when the neon sign finally broke into my consciousness.

"I thought you could use a night off," Edward beamed, grabbing a bag I hadn't notice from behind my seat.

"The last time we were here I got pregnant," I said with a glare. Anthony had been born nine months and ten days after our wedding. People still count.

"We've been safe for over five years," he reminded me, pulling me from the car.

"What about the kids?" I asked, looking in the direction of home. Panic was already overtaking me. There weren't any waffles in the freezer, the older boys had football practice in the morning, the middle boys and Grace had soccer. Susie had piano, followed by Max, then Jacob, Anthony, Grace, Joshua and John. Susie was playing Lacrosse. I spent every Saturday taxiing them all around to various sports practices and games and piano lessons. They needed to be fed, homework needed to be gone over, the house had to be cleaned top to bottom, and I needed to edit Anthony's essays for college applications.

"Taken care of. Sue and my mom are on top of it," Edward assured me, tugging my hand. "Besides, tomorrow is our eighteen anniversary. We have the whole day to ourselves."

"No kids? No hospital?" I asked, incredulous.

"Nope," he said, by this time we were walking over the threshold to our room; the room where Anthony was conceived. "Just you and me." The door closed behind me, he dropped the bag to the floor and pulled my body against his. "How do you feel?" he asked, no doubt sensing the tension in my body.

"Nervous," I replied, worried about the kids and what they might do to Sue and Esme.

His fingers slid the zipper down my back, pulling my mind to the man in front of me. "Well, I'm horny," he said with a chuckle, reminding me of that night so long ago. "Let's get naked."

I didn't answer him. Instead I attacked.

* * *

That's the end for these two! I've been reading over Parkward, he was the winner for what comes next, and trying to get into their heads again. Hopefully it won't be too long until I have their next chapter up.

Oh, and I did know someone who had her tubes tied and still got pregnant. She was incredulous, but apparently it can happen.


End file.
